September 23, 2008
By Piyanart Srivalo, Woranaree Kosachan
The Nation
Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said yesterday he had completed his list of Cabinet members and that background checks were under way on the proposed appointees.
He said the Cabinet Secretariat was carrying out the checks in order to ensure that their qualifications were in line with the law.
"The Cabinet list has been completed. Now the Cabinet Secretariat is doing to the background checks. There are lots of people involved," said the premier. Although the Secretariat has promised to complete its task as soon as possible, Somchai expects the process to be time-consuming.
The prime minister yesterday received many visitors to his home as he was preparing the final Cabinet line-up.
As of last night, the ministerial portfolios involving the ruling People Power Party (PPP) were not complete, but the nominations from five other coalition parties had already been submitted, according to a party source.
Under the PPP quota, former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh is expected to become deputy prime minister and foreign minister, with the urgent task of settling the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. Chavalit has maintained good relations with Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen and Defence Minister Tea Banh.
Chalerm Yoobamrung, who served as interior minister in the PPP-led government of Samak Sundaravej, is expected to join the next Cabinet. However, it remained unclear last night whether he would serve as justice minister or deputy prime minister.
This would depend on whether Sompong Amornwiwat, who is currently caretaker justice minister, stays at the ministry or becomes public health minister in the new Cabinet, the source said.
The Cabinet seats that remained unsettled yesterday involved those under the quota system. They include the positions set aside for members of different factions in the party, including the Friends of Newin group.
As for the seats for other coalition parties, Puea Pandin Party's Pracha Promnok could become deputy PM after party leader Suwit Khunkitti turned down the offer. His decision came after he learned that he was not being given the Industry portfolio.
The Industry Ministry portfolio is expected to go to Anongwan Thepsuthin, leader of the Matchima Thipataya Party. She is now caretaker minister of natural resources and environment.
Caretaker energy minister Poonpirom Liptapanlop, who is from the Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana Party, yesterday said she had opted not to be reappointed. Wannarat Charnnukul, a senior figure from Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana, is set to replace her at the Energy Ministry.
Mingkwan Sangsuwan, who is currently caretaker industry minister, is likely to get no position in the new Cabinet, according to the source.
The allocation of Cabinet seats is now mired with coalition quotas, factional squabbling and a game of musical chairs among cronies.
Like the Samak Sundaravej government - which was hatched in Hong Kong - the Somchai administration is being drawn up in London.
Key faction leaders like Newin Chidchob and Yongyuth Tiyapairat allocated seats under instructions from former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Khunying Pojaman.
Somchai's wife, Yaowapa, advised her brother Thaksin into reserving plum assignments for a clique of MPs from the North. Loyal allies from Chiang Mai were duly rewarded with jobs in the PM's inner circle, and Somchai reportedly agreed to rubber-stamp the deal worked out by his wife and in-laws.
The Cabinet line-up signals the People Power Party's determination to plough through all political adversity in order to cling to power.
Political expediency might yield an incompetent government, with coalition MPs focusing more on partisan interests than the greater good.
Even if the government were to collapse in a few months, it would not be of concern because the alliance and the electoral system would remain intact to help win re-election bids.
It is just a coincidence that the PAD-led opposition has decided to come up with a new political model to replace what it considers a flawed electoral system at the same time as the unveiling of the Cabinet.
The PAD intends to make people aware of the "evil-side" of the Somchai government - which it claims to be a proxy of Thaksin's autocratic regime. But by rushing to advance the tentative model for its so-called "new politics", it has failed to think things through. As a result, confusion only seems to intensify.
It remains doubtful whether its new politics could be a viable alternative to the existing political system.
Though the PAD claims it is drawing a road map to revamp the system, it appears unable to come up with either a fresh proposal or a breakthrough.
The debate on what constitutes an appropriate political model for Thailand has been rekindled time and again over the past 76 years. Arguments advanced by the PAD are nothing but a rehash of past issues.
The idea about allocating House seats between appointees and elected MPs is not new. For more than a decade after the advent of democracy in 1932, half of the parliamentary representatives were appointed.
However, nowadays people are more politically conscious, which is why the PAD is being met with such stiff opposition to the idea of House seats being allocated.
This idea has since been modified to divide seats between elected MPs via constituency vote and elected professional representatives via peer vote. The PAD has yet to clarify how the nomination process and peer vote would be organised.
The idea of professional representation sounds strikingly similar to the so-called democratic representation in a communist regime. If the PAD were to emulate a Chinese political model, many would cry foul over the regression of popular democracy.
He said the Cabinet Secretariat was carrying out the checks in order to ensure that their qualifications were in line with the law.
"The Cabinet list has been completed. Now the Cabinet Secretariat is doing to the background checks. There are lots of people involved," said the premier. Although the Secretariat has promised to complete its task as soon as possible, Somchai expects the process to be time-consuming.
The prime minister yesterday received many visitors to his home as he was preparing the final Cabinet line-up.
As of last night, the ministerial portfolios involving the ruling People Power Party (PPP) were not complete, but the nominations from five other coalition parties had already been submitted, according to a party source.
Under the PPP quota, former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh is expected to become deputy prime minister and foreign minister, with the urgent task of settling the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. Chavalit has maintained good relations with Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen and Defence Minister Tea Banh.
Chalerm Yoobamrung, who served as interior minister in the PPP-led government of Samak Sundaravej, is expected to join the next Cabinet. However, it remained unclear last night whether he would serve as justice minister or deputy prime minister.
This would depend on whether Sompong Amornwiwat, who is currently caretaker justice minister, stays at the ministry or becomes public health minister in the new Cabinet, the source said.
The Cabinet seats that remained unsettled yesterday involved those under the quota system. They include the positions set aside for members of different factions in the party, including the Friends of Newin group.
As for the seats for other coalition parties, Puea Pandin Party's Pracha Promnok could become deputy PM after party leader Suwit Khunkitti turned down the offer. His decision came after he learned that he was not being given the Industry portfolio.
The Industry Ministry portfolio is expected to go to Anongwan Thepsuthin, leader of the Matchima Thipataya Party. She is now caretaker minister of natural resources and environment.
Caretaker energy minister Poonpirom Liptapanlop, who is from the Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana Party, yesterday said she had opted not to be reappointed. Wannarat Charnnukul, a senior figure from Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana, is set to replace her at the Energy Ministry.
Mingkwan Sangsuwan, who is currently caretaker industry minister, is likely to get no position in the new Cabinet, according to the source.
The allocation of Cabinet seats is now mired with coalition quotas, factional squabbling and a game of musical chairs among cronies.
Like the Samak Sundaravej government - which was hatched in Hong Kong - the Somchai administration is being drawn up in London.
Key faction leaders like Newin Chidchob and Yongyuth Tiyapairat allocated seats under instructions from former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Khunying Pojaman.
Somchai's wife, Yaowapa, advised her brother Thaksin into reserving plum assignments for a clique of MPs from the North. Loyal allies from Chiang Mai were duly rewarded with jobs in the PM's inner circle, and Somchai reportedly agreed to rubber-stamp the deal worked out by his wife and in-laws.
The Cabinet line-up signals the People Power Party's determination to plough through all political adversity in order to cling to power.
Political expediency might yield an incompetent government, with coalition MPs focusing more on partisan interests than the greater good.
Even if the government were to collapse in a few months, it would not be of concern because the alliance and the electoral system would remain intact to help win re-election bids.
It is just a coincidence that the PAD-led opposition has decided to come up with a new political model to replace what it considers a flawed electoral system at the same time as the unveiling of the Cabinet.
The PAD intends to make people aware of the "evil-side" of the Somchai government - which it claims to be a proxy of Thaksin's autocratic regime. But by rushing to advance the tentative model for its so-called "new politics", it has failed to think things through. As a result, confusion only seems to intensify.
It remains doubtful whether its new politics could be a viable alternative to the existing political system.
Though the PAD claims it is drawing a road map to revamp the system, it appears unable to come up with either a fresh proposal or a breakthrough.
The debate on what constitutes an appropriate political model for Thailand has been rekindled time and again over the past 76 years. Arguments advanced by the PAD are nothing but a rehash of past issues.
The idea about allocating House seats between appointees and elected MPs is not new. For more than a decade after the advent of democracy in 1932, half of the parliamentary representatives were appointed.
However, nowadays people are more politically conscious, which is why the PAD is being met with such stiff opposition to the idea of House seats being allocated.
This idea has since been modified to divide seats between elected MPs via constituency vote and elected professional representatives via peer vote. The PAD has yet to clarify how the nomination process and peer vote would be organised.
The idea of professional representation sounds strikingly similar to the so-called democratic representation in a communist regime. If the PAD were to emulate a Chinese political model, many would cry foul over the regression of popular democracy.
