| |
BANGKOK : Thai premier Abhisit Vejjajiva's newly-unveiled cabinet set to work on Sunday on building reconciliation and reviving the economy, despite controversy over some appointments.
Key ministers from the Democrat Party met to finalise their policies, a day before an official swearing-in ceremony on Monday in front of the revered king.
"We don't think our policy platform gives the opposition much room to attack us, because the urgent policy issues are focused on solving economic and political matters," the Democrat Party's deputy leader Jurin Laksanawisit told reporters.
"We have responsible people answering those questions," he said.
Jurin said the finished policy document would be sent to coalition partners later Sunday, before being discussed at the first cabinet meeting on Tuesday and then submitted to parliament.
The new cabinet line-up was announced on Saturday after King Bhumibol Adulyadej signed a royal command approving the ministers, appointed after Abhisit won a parliamentary vote to bring a Democrat-led coalition into power.
Of the 36 cabinet posts, 24 ministers are serving in government for the first time and the list has been criticised as inexperienced and inappropriate.
Heading the economic team is finance minister Korn Chatikavanij, an Oxford contemporary of 44-year-old Abhisit. The minister formerly worked for investment bank JPMorgan Chase.
But amid a global financial downturn exacerbated by political turmoil in the kingdom, business leaders have criticised the choice of other economic ministers tasked with reviving the country's fortunes.
On Friday, members of the business community said they were disappointed by the choice of industry and commerce ministers.
Local media said the grumbles prompted a switch to Charnchai Chairungruang as industry minister, but Pornthiwa Nakasai remains as commerce minister, despite the decision being seen as a sop to a coalition party.
Fixing the economy has become an urgent task. The last finance minister admitted growth could be as low as two percent next year because of months of protests that have wracked the country.
Abhisit has vowed to restore unity in Thailand after six months of protests against the previous government, which peaked with an eight-day blockade of Bangkok's airports.
The new foreign minister, Kasit Piromya, was a vocal supporter of the seizure of Suvarnabhumi international airport in late November, even though it caused some of the massive economic damage that Abhisit has pledged to repair.
The Democrat leader's nomination came after the ruling People Power Party - backed by ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra - was dissolved by a court, forcing ex-prime minister Somchai Wongsawat and his cabinet from office.
Abhisit was voted in by parliament on December 15 with the help of defecting lawmakers, and was forced to pick many non-Democrat MPs for top cabinet jobs to appease his hastily formed coalition, angering some party veterans.
Democrat Party members met on the luxury island of Ko Samui for two days of talks ending on Saturday, to outline their policy plans.
Since May, Thailand has been beset by increasingly disruptive protests by the royalist People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD).
The PAD accused the now-defunct PPP of being disloyal to the monarchy and of running Thailand on behalf of Thaksin, who was ousted in a coup in September 2006 and now lives in exile abroad to escape a jail term on corruption charges.
PAD protests reached their peak at the end of last month when thousands of its supporters occupied Bangkok's two main airports for about a week, stranding up to 350,000 passengers and causing massive economic damage.
The group only ended its siege after the PPP was dissolved over vote fraud charges related to elections it won a year ago, allowing the Democrats to win over former PPP lawmakers and small parties to form the government.
Meanwhile, supporters of Thaksin have vowed to rally on December 28 before moving to parliament when Abhisit gives his first policy address. - AFP/yb/ms
|
