Wissanu ‘disappointed’ at withdrawal of a prominent thinker and Pheu Thai practitioner from strategy committee

By The Nation

 

Wissanu.

 

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said on Monday that he felt disappointed when two prominent thinkers turned down a request to sit on the national strategy committee.

 

The presence of Somchai Jitsuchon and Chatchart Sittipan on the committee that is putting together a 20-year national strategy would have been to the greater good of the nation, said Wissanu.

 

Despite their rejection, the government had not lost face, said the deputy PM, who added that he did not think that political game playing was behind their decisions to decline the posts.

 

The names of the two appeared in the announcement of the committee published in the Royal Gazette last week, but both had asked to resign from the posts shortly after.

 

Wissanu said he had on Sunday acknowledged their bowing out. He was rather disappointed in their decision because the government had looked forward to their contributions of intellect, vision and strategy, he said.

 

“But it’s alright. I have sympathy for them,” Wissanu said.

 

The deputy PM denied speculation that the attempt to include former transport minister Chatchart was motivated by a desire to seek the cooperation of dissident groups.

 

The government had focused only on his attributes, Wissanu said. Chatchart was well known for his expertise about public infrastructure.

 

Last week, Wissanu had confirmed that Chatchart, who had served under Yingluck Shinawatra’s administration and was very much admired by Pheu Thai Party supporters, had agreed to join the junta-initiated national strategy committee. The former transport minister subsequently met with fierce criticism and announced late on Saturday night via Facebook that it was not the case.

 

In his account, Chatchart said he had not agreed to take the post. He already had a full-time job in a public company, he wrote, in addition to perhaps not quite understanding the national strategy as currently floated.

 

Wissanu later admitted that he had not personally discussed the matter with Chatchart, but rather communicated through a coordinator.

 

“There’s nothing more to say. If they do not accept the positions, so be it,” Wissanu said. “I admit that it’s a shame and I’m disappointed. But it’s alright. I can understand.”

 

It was rather common that some people reject appointments to posts, the deputy PM said. In the case of Somchai, who is a research director at Thailand Development Research Institute, taking the position was against his office rules, he said.

 

All members recruited to the national strategy committee had been well chosen, said Wissanu. It was not about connection or politics, he stressed, adding that the government would later clarify why each member had been selected once the panels were fully formed.

 

Additional people could be invited to sit, as long as the number of members of each panel does not exceed 15, he said. But it would not be completed this week, he added.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30328277

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-10-2

I wonder what it's like to be the one 'Prominent Thinker' in the country ?    LoL.

Have the junta run out of generals for the positions? 

3 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The presence of Somchai Jitsuchon and Chatchart Sittipan on the committee that is putting together a 20-year national strategy would have been to the greater good of the nation, said Wissanu.

......... had the national strategy not been a ruse to keep an un-elected military junta in control.

3 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Despite their rejection, the government had not lost face

 

Oh the Face game is it.

9 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Despite their rejection, the government had not lost face

It can be fair to say that the possibilities for that to happen is long gone.

Sooner or later the Junta will be removed from Thai politics, but the taint of serving with it will not be.

 

Kudos to these two men for having the courage!

 

Thailand will need good people to restore honour to the country; these two should be near the top of the list when that day finally comes.

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said on Monday that he felt disappointed when two prominent thinkers turned down a request to sit on the national strategy committee.

Perhaps you should take it as a hint.  Your government is not held in high esteem and people of prominence do not want to prop it up. 

15 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Have the junta run out of generals for the positions? 

They have the highest numbers of generals in the world. No. 

7 minutes ago, chuang said:

They have the highest numbers of generals in the world. No. 

Even with the highest number of generals, there are simply not enough of these multi skill and highly talented supermen to go around. All the cushy jobs like in the NLA, reform committees, state own enterprises, agencies and key governmental positions have stretched the pipeline limits of available generals. With no battles to engage, generals were able to amass lots of skills taking care of business internally making them highly sort after human resource to take on every kind of challenging job. Look one even make it to be the PM even without the adequate skill set.