Thailand - Thai PM begs reporters: stop asking about Cabinet reshuffle

Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has pleaded with reporters to stop posing questions on the Cabinet reshuffle, saying she wants to devote time to solving the people's grievances.

"Please, let me work, and I beg you to stop asking about the Cabinet," she said yesterday while having lunch with reporters on the sidelines of her market inspection in Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi.

Yingluck said her priority was to tackle rising prices, wryly adding that reporters tried to distract her attention by questioning her about the ministerial line-up while she was checking prices at Pak Kret Market.

Commenting about an opinion survey on the 10 least-known ministers, she said some Cabinet members had worked hard but failed to receive publicity.

She refused to say whether she would use the survey as a basis to change the Cabinet line-up.

Democrat Party deputy spokeswoman Mallika Boonmeetrakool said the prime minister should shuffle the Cabinet, particularly the Commerce, Energy and Finance portfolios.

"The government has failed to appoint capable individuals to handle economy-related ministries," she said.

Mallika said the government should heed and rectify its poor performance as rated by about 60 leading economists.

Democrat MP Thepthai Seanapong said the government was trying to manipulate legislative rules to avoid a censure debate.

Under the rules, the opposition cannot file a motion of no confidence during the present legislative session, so the government has been thwarting the grilling by postponing the recess, he said.

He said he suspected Yingluck would do everything possible to delay the censure debate for as long as possible.

"The only way for Yingluck to escape the censure debate is for her to exit the government," he said.

Former Thai Rak Thai member Vichit Plansrisakul said that as many as 70 of the 111 banned members of the defunct party would next month team up with the Pheu Thai Party upon the expiry of their political ban this month.

Vichit said he and his Thai Rak Thai colleagues would build and strengthen the ruling party. He also said the 111 had no demands about joining the Cabinet.

"There is no justification for worrying about the 111 taking Cabinet seats from incumbent ministers," he said.

Another former Thai Rak Thai member, Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, said she would not accept any political appointments at this juncture as she wanted to devote her attention to developing a Buddhist site in Nepal.

"This year I want to work for the birthplace of Lord Buddha and suspend my political activities," she said.

Sudarat said she would neither join the Cabinet nor contest the race for the position of Bangkok governor.

She said the 111 would assist the government in the areas of their expertise but would not accept ministerial portfolios.

She also said the 111 would work for Pheu Thai but did not seek to usurp control of the party.

News Desk

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