Cabinet Reshuffle: Big Revamp Offers Little Hope

[george]

THAKSIN’S TENTH CABINET RESHUFFLE: Big revamp offers little hope

Scandal-tainted Suriya transferred but gets two posts | Adisai replaced by Chaturon | Thanong gets Finance

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Thak-sin Shinawatra made sweeping changes to his Cabinet line-up yesterday, but many of the “new” ministers were members of his previous Cabinet.

The changes involved 17 Cabinet posts, covering key ministries such as Interior, Finance, Transport, Commerce and Education.

They appear designed to take the embattled Suriya Jungrungreang-kit out of the spotlight at the Transport Ministry.

Yesterday’s reshuffle was the first in the second term of the Thak-sin administration and the big-gest overhaul ever as far as the Thai Rak Thai leader is concerned.

Pressured by mounting head-aches from prolonged violence in the South, a drawn-out controversy over the baggage-scanning system for the new airport and a weakening economy, Thaksin finally made the long-awaited changes.

After chairing a Cabinet meeting in Chanthaburi yesterday, Thaksin flew to Prachuap Khiri Khan in the evening for an audience with His Majesty the King at Klai Kangwon palace.

He told reporters the changes were made so the new Cabinet was “the best it can be”.

The new appointments were announced last night following Royal endorsement. A swearing-in ceremony before the King is scheduled for 4pm today.

Three Cabinet members have lost their jobs: Education Minister Adisai Bodharamik, Information and Communications Technology Minister Suwit Khunkitti, Science and Technology Minister Korn Thapparansi.

Four new appointees are not part of the previous Cabinet.

Pongsak Ruktapongpisal, a senior Thai Rak Thai Party figure close to the prime minister, will become the new transport minister, replacing Suriya Jungrungreangkit, who has been heavily criticised over the airport scandal and has been seen as one of the main targets to be shifted.

Pongsak is not a totally new face. He served as deputy commerce minister in Thaksin’s previous administration.

ACM Kongsak Wantana, who resigned as Air Force commander-in-chief on Monday, was appointed the new Interior minister. He is also viewed as closely connected to the government leader.

Another senior military figure, General Chaiyanan Charoensiri, will take up the post of deputy transport minister. His comes from the military engineering corps.

The new Science minister is Pravich Ratanapian, who served briefly as deputy commerce minister in the Chuan Leekpai government. He was a Thai trade representative before his latest appointment.

For some incumbent Cabinet members, the changes appear to be demotions, as they will be moved into less coveted positions.

Outgoing Justice minister Suwat Liptapanlop will now serve as a deputy prime minister. Watana Muangsook, the new social development and human security minister, was previously industry minister. Outgoing tourism and sports minister Somsak Thepsuthin will serve as the new labour minister.

For others, the changes are clearly promotions.

These include Tourism and Sports Minister Pracha Maleenont, formerly social development and human security minister, ICT Minister Sora-at Klinpratoom, formerly labour minister, PM’s Office Minister Newin Chidchob, formerly deputy agriculture minister, Agriculture Minister Adisorn Piengket, formerly deputy transport minister, and Deputy Commerce Minister Preecha Laohapongchana, formerly deputy foreign minister.

The extent of the Cabinet changes surprised even some of the incumbent members yesterday, a source said. Deputy Prime Minister Pinij Charusombat was overheard exclaiming: “Will the changes really involve 17 positions?”

Korn, who lost his seat, said with a shaken voice that the prime minister had not told him about the change prior to the announcement.

“I had breakfast with him before the Cabinet meeting and he said nothing about it. Now I’m going to pack. I think I have done my best in the office,” he said.

Thaksin thanked his Cabinet members at the Chanthaburi meeting and said that some would not remain in their seats, according to outgoing deputy prime minister Chaturon Chaisang, who is to become the new education minister.

A source quoted Thaksin as saying that some of those dropped from the Cabinet could make a comeback in the future.

After the meeting finished, Thaksin talked personally with Suriya. The outgoing transport minister appeared tensed afterward.

Other Cabinet members like Suwat Liptapanlop also wore a grim look after the meeting.

By retaining Suriya in his new Cabinet, it appears that Thaksin dares not risk a rift with TRT’s powerful Wang Nam Yom faction, which has more than 100 party MPs. But the premier has been under pressure since June to sack Suriya over charges of corruption in the purchase of bomb-detection machines for the new airport.

Suriya is a key member of Wang Nam Yom, but sacking him could be interpreted as an admission that corruption did take place, which may well have been unacceptable to faction members.

The premier was unlikely to jeopardise unity at a time when his popularity has plunged to its lowest point since 2001, according to a recent survey.

There has been speculation that Thaksin was unsure how to handle Suriya’s situation until the pair came to a compromise – to switch Suriya to the industry portfolio.

Dr Somkid Jatusripitak, the deputy prime minister and finance minister, has left the finance portfolio to become commerce minister. Yet he still retains his dual post of deputy prime minister. This suggests Somkid is the bona fide head of the Thaksin’s economic team.

Once the government completes its bureaucratic reforms by combining the commerce and the industry ministries together to create a ministry of international trade and industry, Somkid is expected to take over this powerful post.

Earlier, Somkid indicated that he would like to leave the finance portfolio to focus on managing broader economic strategies, such as promoting exports, tourism and foreign direct investment.

Dr Thanong Bidaya, the commerce minister, has become finance minister, a job he previously held at the height of the 1997 financial crisis. Less than two weeks after his appointment as finance minister by the Chavalit government, Thanong announced a devaluation of the baht which triggered the Thai and Asian financial crisis.

Thanong is very close to the prime minister, as he used to work as a fund manager looking after Thaksin’s personal assets. He will have a big challenge in trying to steer the economy onto a healthy growth path.

Violence in the deep South is one of the main factors behind this reshuffle, although no one expects any real breakthrough in containing the violence there.

Kongsak is the new interior chief and he will have the extra duty of working with Justice Minister Chidchai Vanasadiya, who continues to be the de-facto security tsar.

Chidchai will continue to be the main person to watch in regard to the government’s handling of the South. He will be the key person also in use of the controversial emergency decree that granted the executive branch unprecedented powers to deal with the crisis.

There is nothing in Kongsak’s resume to suggest his military experience will help him meet the unconventional security challenges that have seen more than 800 people killed since January last year. If the past 19 months is any indication, Kongsak is not expected to make any meaningful impact on the security situation in the troubled South.

Official list of Cabinet reshuffle

Published on Aug 02 , 2005

The Cabinet reshuffle has been announced as following:

1 Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak [formerly deputy PM and finance minister concurrently]

2 Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya [formerly deputy PM and interior minister concurrently]

3 Deputy Prime Minister and Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit [formerly transport minister]

4 Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop [formerly justice minister]

5 Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya [formerly commerce minister]

6 Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang [formerly deputy prime minister]

7 Social Development and Human Security Minister Watana Muangsook [formerly industry minister]

8 Labour Minister Somsak Thepsuthin [formerly tourism and sports minister]

9 Tourism and Sports Minister Pracha Maleenont [formerly social development and human security minister]

10 Information and Communications Technology Minister Soraat Klinpratoom [formerly labour minister]

11 PM's Office Minister Newin Chidchob [formerly deputy agriculture minister]

12 Deputy Agriculture Minister Adisorn Piengket [formerly deputy transport minister]

13 Deputy Commerce Minister Preecha Laohapongchana [formerly deputy foreign minister]

14 Science Minister Pravich Ratanapian [new face]

15 Transport Minister Pongsak Ruktapongpisal [new to Thaksin II administration]

16 Interior Minister ACM Kongsak Wantana [new face]

17 Deputy Transport Minister Chaiyanan Charoensiri [new face]

--The Nation 2005-08-02

[george]

Analysts: Same old faces after reshuffle won't save the nation

BANGKOK: -- With the same old faces holding on to key portfolios, analysts say the cabinet shake-up looks more like a way to fix the government's own problems rather than saving the nation spooked by a string of ill-fated events such as southern violence, corruption scandals and signs of another economic downturn.

A political observer said it appeared Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had to undo what he had done when he named his ministers in March after winning a landslide election victory on Feb 6.

Suwat Liptapanlop, he said, did not want the justice portfolio in the first place. Somkid Jatusripitak should be all fired up for his new commerce minister post while nobody other than former banker Thanong Bidaya was suitable as finance minister. Preecha Laohapongchana was well-rounded in business, but not foreign affairs.

Pracha Maleenont, the source said, did not seem a caring person so making him tourism and sports minister was more acceptable to society than keeping him at the Social Development and Human Security Ministry. Pol Gen Chidchai Wannasathit had credentials in the anti-drugs campaign and judicial affairs, but none in national security.

Suriya Jungrungreangkit and Somsak Thepsuthin, key Wang Nam Yom faction figures, only got a wrist-slapping, the source said.

``Mr Suriya, a major factor behind this cabinet reshuffle, manages to stay in the government although re-assigned to a less important position,'' the source said.

Somsak Thepsuthin, who had enough clout to ``rock the boat'' within the party, was given the labour portfolio, which was not a ``grade-A'' position. ``He was down, but not out, however,'' said the source.

Pongsak Raktapongpaisal, industry minister in the first Thaksin government but who made a comeback as transport minister, was one of the biggest surprises, as he was not in Mr Thaksin's ``inner circle'' but, in fact, close to dissident Wang Nam Yen faction leader Sanoh Thienthong.

But the source said two newcomers, ACM Kongsak Wantana, appointed interior minister, and Gen Chainant Charoensiri, chosen as deputy transport minister, were not considered ``outstanding''.

A political scientist said the reshuffle would do nothing much to help the country as new faces who could command public respect for integrity and intellect had been left out and scandal-tainted ministers were allowed to stay on unpunished.

He said the shake-up was ``nonsensical'' because the best Mr Thaksin could do was make ministers swap their posts.

But he said the people had no one to blame but themselves. ``They re-elected this prime minister and the government. They now know they made a bad choice.''

--Bangkok Post 2005-08-03

[george]

New cabinet members sworn in

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: -- Members of the new cabinet line-up were sworn in before His Majesty the King at the Klaikangvol Palace in Thailand's upper southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan Wednesday evening.

The 17 newly-appointed cabinet members include Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, Deputy Prime Minister and Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Pol. Gen. Chidchai Vanasatidya.

Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Lipatapallop, Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya, Tourism and Sports Minister Pracha Maleenont, Social Development and Human Security Minister Watana Muangsook, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office Newin Chidchob.

Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Adisorn Piengkes, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Minister Sora-at Klinpratoom, Deputy Commerce Minister Preecha Laohapongchana, Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang and Labour Minister Somsak Thepsuthin.

They also include four new comers--Transport Minister Pongsak Ruktapongpisal, who replaces Mr. Suriya; Deputy Commerce Minister Gen. Chai-anant Charoensiri; Interior Minister ACM Kongsak Vantana, who replaces Pol. Gen. Chidchai; and Science and Technology Minister, who replaces Mr. Korn Dabbaransi.

They all were led by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to have an audience with His Majesty the King for the oath taking ceremony.

The prime minister called a meeting of the new cabinet members at the Government House here Thursday morning.

Mr. Thaksin earlier told journalists that he appointed Mr. Pongsak to be the new Transport Minister because the new minister has a good engineering background and would help oversee the government's planned mega projects, while Gen. Chai-anant, the new Deputy Transport Minister, also used to serve in the Royal Thai Army's Engineer Department.

"Mr. Suriya had performed his duties well, especially when he was industry minister last time; so, I want him to help take care of the industry portfolio again when the government is pushing for an overall manufacturing and industrial restructuring in the country", he said.

It was widely expected that Mr. Suriya, who recently faced a no confidence motion lodged by the opposition for his alleged failure in performing his duties fully on the supervision of the government's procurement of 26 CTX bomb scanners for Bangkok's new international airport, or the Suvarnabhumi Airport, leading to a bribery scandal on front-page newspapers for months, would be 'shifted' from the transport portfolio.

But Mr. Thaksin stressed that Mr. Suriya had done a good job, and that the 'change' had nothing to do with the CTX scandal.

The prime minister also said that ACM Kongsak was considered suitable for the post of new interior minister, as he has a high leadership and was a former military leader who should help coordinate well between the central government and southern authorities in tackling the southern unrest.

Mr. Thaksin noted that Pol. Gen. Chidchai is a legal expert, and so was considered to be suitable for overseeing the Ministry of Justice, and that the former interior minister had more tight schedules and inadequate time for frequent travels to the deep South.

The prime minister said as well that Mr. Somkid has a lot of experiences and expertise in marketing and macro economics, so he is suitable for the new post of commerce minister; while Mr. Thanong is good at financial and fiscal management, so he is also suitable for the post of finance minister.

--TNA 2005-08-03

[Bentley 7]

You can shuffle a deck of cards or cabinet as many times you like but there's always going to be a king, some queens and a whole heap of jokers!

[Jai Dee]

THE PRIME MINISTER HAS EXPLAINED HIS REASONS FOR THE NEW CABINET LINE-UP

The Prime Minister has explained his reasons for the Cabinet reshuffle, saying appropriateness has been reached in each position, and the move was aimed at creating balance in the works of the country.

Prime Minister THAKSIN SHINAWATRA said he was satisfied with this rearrangement, as each person's capabilities had been considered. He said he had consulted people by having them present their working ideas, and without the consulted people's knowledge, used them as information in his consideration of the reshuffle.

Dr. Thaksin explained that Mr. PONGSAK RUKTAPONGPISAL (พงษ์ศักดิ์ รักตพงษ์ไพศาล) now heads the Ministry of Transport, as he graduated from construction engineering, while Gen. CHAIYANAN CHAROENSIRI (ชัยอานันท์ เจริญศิริ) had expertise in development, and should be able to provide assistance very well.

As for Pol. Gen. CHITCHAI WANNASATHIT, his Deputy Prime Minister position was for him to work with related agencies regarding the solving of the southern problems, and he also doubles with the Justice Ministry as he finished directly from this line of education. The new Interior Minister, Air Chief Marshal KONGSAK WANTANA (คงศักดิ์ วันทนา), will reinforce the working towards increased efficiency. Dr. THAKSIN said he was confident the new Interior Minister was a capable person, and the move was not related to a personal relationship.

As for Mr. THANONG BIDAYA's (ทนง พิทยะ) position as Finance Minister, Mr. Thaksin said he saw that Mr. THANONG had expertise in finance, while Dr. SOMKID JATUSRIPITAK (สมคิด จาตุศรีพิทักษ์) had expertise in marketing. The premier said the overall image of the economy required both market tackling and finance skills. He also said that importantly, Dr. SOMKID will have to look over the country's trade deficit.

As for the position of Mr. SURIYA JUNGRUNGREANGKIT (สุริยะ จึงรุ่งเรืองกิจ) as Deputy Prime Minister and Industry Minister, the Prime Minister said it was not related to the CTX bomb detector purchase, but it was because he wanted Mr. SURIYA to oversee the restructuring of industry.

For the position of Mr. WATTANA MUANGSOOK (วัฒนา เมืองสุข) as Social Development and Human Security Minister, the Prime Minister reasoned that Mr. WATTANA was educated in law, and thus, the premier wanted Mr. WATTANA to oversee social problems.

Prime Minister THAKSIN said Mr. NEWIN CHIDCHOB (เนวิน ชิดชอบ) will carry the task of following on works assigned by the Prime Minister, as well as development and organizing the border and the illegal immigration problem.

The prime minister admitted there was indeed an invitation for Mr. MINGKWAN SAENGSUWAN (มิ่งขวัญ แสงสุวรรณ), president of MCOT, to join the government. However, Mr. MINGKWAN had declined the invitation, as he wanted to make the Mass Communication of Thailand (MCOT) more stable.

Source: thaisnews.com

[Jai Dee]

LABOUR MINISTER SOMSAK IS HAPPY WITH HIS NEW ROLE

The newly-appointed Labour Minister, Mr. SOMSAK THEPSUTHIN (สมศักดิ์ เทพสุทิน), has expressed confidence on his new position, while affirmed that he does not have issues with the WANG NAM YOM (วังน้ำยม) Political Faction.

Labour Minister SOMSAK, also the former Sports and Tourism Minister, admitted that he had not been informed by Prime Minister THAKSIN SHINAWATRA about the Cabinet reshuffle yesterday (August 2nd). Nevertheless, he said he whole-heartedly accepts the new ministerial position, and he does not consider that it will minimize his role in politics. In regards to his new job, he stated that he is a fast learner, and he is assured that he will be able to deal with labour issues in the present economic situation.

In addition, Mr. SOMSAK added that he is in favour for Mr. ADISORN PIENGKET (อดิศร เพียงเกษ) to be in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, as Mr. ADISORN will be able to satisfy the needs of farmers, especially on the One Million Cows Family (วัวล้านครอบครัว) project.

Source: thaisnews.com