Premier stays mum on Cabinet reshuffle
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PRAYUT BLAMES MEDIA FOR SPECULATION ON SHAKE-UP, TIPPED FOR SEPTEMBER
PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday refused to confirm or deny speculation of a major Cabinet shake-up soon.
He blamed the mass media for the speculation. But when asked if he would actually reshuffle his Cabinet, the prime minister replied: “I don’t know.”
Prayut told reporters yesterday on the sidelines of the “Thailand Competitiveness Conference” that he would not answer questions about politics.
However, a source close to the Cabinet said yesterday that a major reshuffle in Prayut’s government would take place in September, with the changes mostly affecting economic ministers.
Rumours are rife
Deputy Prime Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula yesterday said speculation of a Cabinet reshuffle had continued for some time.
One of the recent rumours was that a person with the initial W would be appointed to the government’s economic team. Pridiyathorn said the prime minister told him he was unaware who that person was.
Deputy PM and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said the prime minister would have the final say as to whether the Cabinet should be reshuffled.
He did not rule out speculation that former finance minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who had completed a five-year ban from politics, would join the Cabinet. “That depends on the situation.”
Speculation of changes in the Cabinet line-up has become intense after an amendment to the post-coup provisional constitution. The amendment in effect removes a ban on former office holders previously deprived of their political rights from serving as Cabinet members.
Meanwhile, with the amendment to the interim charter becoming effective, the National Reform Council will have more time to complete its mission.
Alongkorn Ponlaboot, secretary to the NRC whips, said the council’s voting on the draft constitution would take place in the first week of September.
NRC president Thienchay Kirananda has scheduled August 11 for the council’s blueprint on national reform to be announced publicly and to be submitted to the government, according to Alongkorn.
Meanwhile, in Pattaya, where the Constitution Drafting Committee is giving the final touches to the draft charter, chief drafter Borwornsak Uwanno said yesterday that he wanted to use the maximum 30 days the amended interim charter allows the CDC to extend the deadline for completing its work.
“We should extend the deadline to the fullest extent allowed. This is to make sure that the details of the draft constitution will be carefully considered,” he said.
