PM considers more civilians as part of Cabinet shake-up

[webfact]

PM considers more civilians as part of Cabinet shake-up

By THE NATION

 

Prayut Chan-o-cha

 

Prayut shrugs off resignation of labour minister Sirichai; politicians seek major changes to solve economic problems

 

THE ABRUPT resignation of General Sirichai Distakul as labour minister could pave the way for the fourth shake-up of Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s Cabinet, as groups called yesterday for major changes due to poor economic performance. 

 

“I’m thinking about the reshuffle but still sorting out what scale it should be,” Prayut said yesterday. “It might be this year. Don’t worry about it too much, it’s just administrative stuff.”

 

Prayut, who is also junta chief, said he was thinking of reducing the numbers of military officers and replacing them with civilians.

 

Sirichai’s departure came amid long-held speculation that Prayut’s post-coup government needed to register strong economic performance in light of the election set to be held next November.

 

On Wednesday, Sirichai and three other Labour Ministry staff members resigned shortly after Prayut employed his notorious Article 44 powers to shift Varanon Peetiwan from his post as director-general of the Department of Employment to deputy permanent secretary of the ministry.

 

The resignation was confirmed yesterday in an announcement by the PM’s Office published in the Royal Gazette.

 

Sirichai was among Army generals who gained prominent positions in the military government as a member of the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly and a permanent secretary to the Defence Ministry before being appointed to the Labour Ministry in 2015.

 

He is the first minister in Prayut’s Cabinet to offer a resignation before a reshuffle.

 

Prayut, meanwhile, said there were “no hard feelings” in Sirichai’s departure, saying he had left merely to run his own business.

 

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said the reshuffle had been made to accelerate solutions to “some problems” but he refused to specify what they were.

 

A ministry source said earlier that Varanon’s transfer was made because his department had failed to sufficiently register migrant workers ahead of the full enforcement of the new, controversial migrant labour law.

 

Adisorn Kerdmongkol, an expert on migrant workers, said he doubted if the delay in registrations was the real motive behind the demotion of Varanon on Wednesday.

 

Changing the head of the Employment Department would not speed up the registration process, since it also involved the cooperation of neighbouring countries, he said. 

 

The ministry had completed 70 per cent of registrations for migrants from Myanmar, but only 20 per cent for Cambodians, he said.

 

The Labour Ministry had never worked quickly on migrant worker issues, Adisorn added. The government wanted to compile the biometric data of migrant workers by March 31, but the ministry had only completed records for half of the workers in the fisheries sector, while the process had not even begun for 2 million undocumented migrants, he said.

 

Instructions from the government were not systematic, as it had ordered the collection of biometric data after registrations, instead of carrying out the two processes at the same time, he said.

 

Adisorn, a long-time monitor of migrant issues, said he had never heard of a controversy or scandal regarding the now-demoted Varanon. 

 

The resignation of Sirichai might have just showed solidarity within the team since it was Sirichai who promoted Varanon to his position, he added. 

 

Meanwhile, Wissanu said Natural Resources and Environment Minister General Surasak Kanchanarat would fill the post in a caretaker capacity.

 

Deputy Defence Minister General Udomdej Sitabutr, who is the target of speculation in the possible reshuffle, brushed aside a suggestion that he might be the next labour minister.

 

Meanwhile, politicians called on Prayut to reconsider his Cabinet’s performance given the poor economic results of the past three years.

 

Former Democrat Party ex-MP Thaworn Senniam said prices of agricultural products, such as rice and para-rubber, had been held too low, affecting the livelihood of millions of farmers nationwide.

 

Postings in the Agricultural and Cooperatives and Commerce ministries should be “seriously reconsidered”, Thaworn said.

 

Anusorn Eiamsa-ard, Pheu Thai Party’s acting deputy spokesperson, blamed the new migrant law approved by the Cabinet for increasing costs and burdening employers of migrant workers.

 

Anusorn also criticised Prayut for using his sweeping Article 44 powers, which are not subject to checks and balances, in such a way that his own Cabinet member “could not tolerate and walked away”.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30330688

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-11-03

[Samui Bodoh]

31 minutes ago, webfact said:

Sirichai’s departure came amid long-held speculation that Prayut’s post-coup government needed to register strong economic performance in light of the election set to be held next November.

 

Bringing in civilians would likely help the economic performance of the government, but it would be a minor bump. The underlying problem is not the status of the economic team, it is the status of the people at the very top.

 

Military people suck at governing, and Prayut is a textbook example of that.

 

Both the reputation of the government in general and Prayut personally will decline over the next year; best make plans now for an exit and leave with some dignity.

 

[tracker1]

Maybe concerns of a military coup to take over the militay coup so put civilians in and have the millitary control them

[ramrod711]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Former Democrat Party ex-MP Thaworn Senniam said prices of agricultural products, such as rice and para-rubber, had been held too low, affecting the livelihood of millions of farmers nationwide.

I hope this isn't true, someone might have to pay a huge fine, or even go to jail for damaging the economy.

[yellowboat]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

“It might be this year. Don’t worry about it too much, it’s just administrative stuff.”

Yeah, don't worry it is just a coup.  Don't worry he says.  The country will worry less when no longer has power.  When that will be is anyones guess.   Looks like he will be around for a long time. 

[marko kok prong]

he sure looks happy,

[Eric Loh]

Can see these ministries currently headed by Generals that Prayut may consider switching to civilians.

 

1. Ministry of Interior - Anupong has been implicated in many dodgy military procurement including the latest radar guns. His image is bad.

2. Ministry of Transport - bottle necks in dispensation of infrastructure projects

3. Minister of labour -  recent fiasco on foreign workers and the affects on the economy still persist.

4. Ministry of Agriculture & cooperatives - mired with weak farm prices and problems but has little solutions

5. Ministry of Resources and Environment too cavalier attitude towards environmental and fishery concerns. 

[Krataiboy]

Prayut, who is also junta chief, said he was thinking of reducing the numbers of military officers and replacing them with civilians.

 

Blame my nasty, suspicious mind if you like, but. . .

 

Could this be the start  of a process of "civilianisation" be further evidence that the junta plans to soldier on indefinitely?

 

I know the leadership keeps denying rumours that it will form a party to contest the upcoming general election, now only a year away. 

 

But this latest move looks suspicious. So does the announcement of an ongoing ban on all political activity - which means  the junta can continue to hog the limelight and court the electorate through their dominance of the media.

 

Having produced a 20-year development plan for Thailand, would anybody be surprised if the generals are planning to stick around to see it through?

[billd766]

4 hours ago, ramrod711 said:

I hope this isn't true, someone might have to pay a huge fine, or even go to jail for damaging the economy.

 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Former Democrat Party ex-MP Thaworn Senniam said prices of agricultural products, such as rice and para-rubber, had been held too low, affecting the livelihood of millions of farmers nationwide.

 

The price of rice and para-rubber are generally set by international market prices. It is hard to get a high price for your product when there is a glut on the markets.

 

Of course if the government were to offer a pledging price of perhaps twice the market price for rice and rubber, the rice farmers and rubber planters would be very happy.

 

Thailand has gone down that road in the last few years and look what that cost the country.

[billd766]

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

Can see these ministries currently headed by Generals that Prayut may consider switching to civilians.

 

1. Ministry of Interior - Anupong has been implicated in many dodgy military procurement including the latest radar guns. His image is bad.

2. Ministry of Transport - bottle necks in dispensation of infrastructure projects

3. Minister of labour -  recent fiasco on foreign workers and the affects on the economy still persist.

4. Ministry of Agriculture & cooperatives - mired with weak farm prices and problems but has little solutions

5. Ministry of Resources and Environment too cavalier attitude towards environmental and fishery concerns. 

 

 

You forgot to add whoever in charge of floods, water management, dams etc.

 

Whoever that is seriously needs replacing.

[Cadbury]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

".....reducing the numbers of military officers and replacing them with civilians".

I imagine civilians would be easier to bully than senior military officers. 

It seems like Prayut has lost some control over his military ministers. His domineering leadership style might go well on the parade ground but as far as politics goes it could be losing a bit of it's shine.

[Samui Bodoh]

12 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

I imagine civilians would be easier to bully than senior military officers. 

It seems like Prayut has lost some control over his military ministers. His domineering leadership style might go well on the parade ground but as far as politics goes it could be losing a bit of it's shine.

I would (respectfully) disagree.

 

I see Prayut as a product of his past; in his past as a General, he wouldn't have received any bad news or criticism.

 

Now, as a politician, he has bad news and criticism all the time and he is simply unable to deal with it. The reaction, as it would be in a small child, is to lash out and/or fire/blame others. 

 

This is why military men in general (pardon the pun), and Thai military men in particular, aren't very good at governing. Reality has a way of creeping in when you are doing a civilian job and actual results are required.

 

 

[sawadee1947]

well, there are many retired army members outside. Now they are civilians of course

[Cadbury]

1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I would (respectfully) disagree.

 

I see Prayut as a product of his past; in his past as a General, he wouldn't have received any bad news or criticism.

 

Now, as a politician, he has bad news and criticism all the time and he is simply unable to deal with it. The reaction, as it would be in a small child, is to lash out and/or fire/blame others. 

 

This is why military men in general (pardon the pun), and Thai military men in particular, aren't very good at governing. Reality has a way of creeping in when you are doing a civilian job and actual results are required.

 

 

I agree with you and think pretty much we are saying the same thing in different ways. You are right when you say civilian management looks more toward results and I think Prayut is focusing his planned moves to civilians because:

a. It might fix the problem of incompetence of some of his ministerial military officers and the embarrassment they give him.

b. He might finally realise civilian administration works in more productive ways to military style management which just seems to rely on barking orders with a wing and a prayer style operation. Someone high up in the civilian arena might have put a flea in his ear while making a few suggestions.

c. In his egocentric mind he may also be thinking that civilians might be easier to push around and bend easier under his control whereas he might now be getting cautious of some officers who may be standing up to him behind closed doors. 

[Dap]

Retired generals?

[Eric Loh]

4 hours ago, billd766 said:

 

 

You forgot to add whoever in charge of floods, water management, dams etc.

 

Whoever that is seriously needs replacing.

I think it will fall under various ministries; perhaps that is one reason why flood is still a big problem. MOF, MOT, MOR & E and the cabinet would have some sort of responsibilities. Maybe the government should have 1 ministry with extensive power in all matters relating to floods and drought or form a new ministry to solve the nation greatest problem. 

 

[billd766]

4 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

I think it will fall under various ministries; perhaps that is one reason why flood is still a big problem. MOF, MOT, MOR & E and the cabinet would have some sort of responsibilities. Maybe the government should have 1 ministry with extensive power in all matters relating to floods and drought or form a new ministry to solve the nation greatest problem. 

 

 

Now there I do agree with you, however the fight to become the supreme meister will make the night of the long knives look like a genteel tea party.

[Dave67]

Prayut, who is also junta chief, said he was thinking of reducing the numbers of military officers and replacing them with civilians.

 

Change "Thinking of reducing"' to "Told To reduce"