Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's cabinet has received royal endorsement with a surprise choice for foreign minister.Foreign Ministry officials yesterday voiced disappointment after
learning yesterday afternoon that Pheu Thai deputy leader Surapong
Towijakchaikul had been chosen as foreign minister.
Ministry staff scoured the internet for any information on Mr Surapong's background, but came up with little.
" Only a few foreign ministry officials know about him," said a
ministry official on condition of anonymity. "He has never held any
ministerial post before."
A Chiang Mai native sporting a bachelor's degree in engineering from
the United States, Mr Surapong is a relative of former prime minister
Thaksin Shinawatra.
Apart from his active role as an MP in parliament and serving as
chairman of the House foreign affairs committee, Mr Surapong has never
held any position in an administration. A former Democrat MP, he once
grilled Thaksin during a censure debate. He later joined the
Thaksin-backed People Power Party and the Pheu Thai Party.
Many Foreign Ministry officials wondered if Mr Surapong was really
interested in foreign affairs, compared to the long list of candidates
for the position, including a number of former diplomats.
Apart from the selection of Mr Surapong, the appointment of several
other ministers drew criticism from ministry officials who will have to
work for them.
Preecha Rengsomboonsuk, an MP from Loei MP, was tabbed as natural
resources and environment minister, but he is unfamiliar to ministry
brass.
Chote Trachu, permanent-secretary for natural resources and
environment, said he had to search for Mr Preecha's profile on the
internet.
An official at the Office of the Basic Education Commission said that
Worawat Ua-apinyakul, a Pheu Thai MP from Phrae, appointed as education
minister yesterday, was no stranger to the ministry.
Mr Worawat was acting education minister briefly during the Somchai Wongsawat government.
When he was culture minister during the same government, Mr Worawat
became the talk of the town after he reportedly recommended that
officials produce a variety of good luck charms, including phallic
amulets, as cultural products for sale to tourists, although he has
denied this.
He said he had only suggested that the folktales surrounding good luck charms be better publicised to add value to the products.
Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha yesterday said the army could not be choosy about the new defence minister
He said that Gen Yutthasak Sasiprapa, the new defence minister,
should be better able to empathise with the military than a minister
with no military experience.
Gen Prayuth also said he would provide Ms Yingluck with details of army operations after she started work.
The new cabinet ministers will have an audience with His Majesty the
King at Siriraj hospital to swear an oath of allegiance at 5.30pm today.
Afterwards, Prime Minister Yingluck will have 15 days to deliver her
government's policy statement before parliament - a precondition to
legalising the government's administrative power as required by the
constitution.
Ms Yingluck said she was confident that her cabinet would be
acceptable to businesses owners and members of the public, adding that
it should be given a chance to work for the country.
Pheu Thai party-list MP Apiwan Wiriyachai yesterday said he had told
Ms Yingluck he was ready to step aside and give way to Mr Worawat to
become education minister.
Col Apiwan said he also declined an offer from Ms Yingluck for the
position of deputy prime minister responsible for defence, saying he had
no expertise in military affairs.
The former deputy House speaker earlier said he was willing to serve as speaker if he was backed by the party.
The party instead chose Khon Kaen MP Somsak Kiatsuranont - because Mr
Somsak, unlike Col Apiwan, was not linked with the red-shirt movement,
according to a Pheu Thai source.
Col Apiwan, a key member of the red shirt United Front for Democracy
against Dictatorship, ended up missing out on all major positions, but
he said he was not upset and would continue to work for the party.
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