Cabinet of cronies has returned

[buksida]

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej finally gets his 35 Cabinet members yesterday. Amid criticism over their ability to be playing key roles in the new administration, they are captured into three categories displaying their origins.

The first group is made up of nominees of the 111 banned Thai Rak Thai Party executives. Loyalists of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra make up the second while the third consists of representatives of the coalition.

Nominee group

Somchai Wongsawat : Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister

All his life served as judge but his name involved in politics because of he is husband of Yaowapa, younger sister of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Poonpirom Litapanlop: Energy Minister

Wife of seasoned politician Suwat Litapanlop who has been banned from politics for five years.

Chaovarat Chanweerakul: Deputy Health Minister

He is father or Anuthin Chanweerakul, one of 111 Thai Rak Thai Party executives who has been banned from politics. That is why Aunthin sends his father to become deputy health minister, the position he had helmed earlier.

Wutthipong Chaisang: Science Minister

Wutthipong, 49, Chachoengsao MP, the younger brother of Chaturon Chaisang, the former Thai Rak Thai party caretaker who was banned from politics for five years.

Ranongrak Suwanchawee: Deputy Finance Minister

Ranongrak was elected as a senator from Nakhon Ratchasima but was not endorsed because of the coup.

Suphol Fongngam: Deputy Interior Minister

Teerachai Saenkaew: Deputy Agriculture Minister

A member of the Wang Nam Yom faction and an outspoken MP in ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra's now defunct Thai Rak Thai party, Teerachai would defend his party leader against criticism from opponents. A Thaksin loyalist, he stayed with the Thai Rak Thai when his faction leader, Somsak Thepsuthin, jumped party last year's coup.

Songsak Thongsri: Deputy Transport Minister

Fifty-year-old Songsak was a member of the Buriram province MP clique that is led by Newin Chidchob.

Pongsakorn Annopporn: Deputy Education Minister

Pongsakorn, 47, was a Chart Pattana MP for Khon Kaen three times before moving to the Thai Rak Thai Party.

Santi Promphat: Transport Minister

Santi was advisor to the Interior and Transport Minister. As a major real estate tycoon with connections to Thaksin Shinawatra, he was entrusted by Thaksin due to his generous financial contribution and was given the responsibility to oversee MPs in the upper central region and some of the northeastern provinces.

Sutha Chansaeng: Social Development and Human Security Minister

Thaksin's loyalist

Mingkwan Saengsuwan: Deputy Premier and Commerce Minister

Mingkwan is expected to execute what could be billed as an "improved" version of Thaksinstyled populist policies.

Chalerm Yoobumrung: Interior Minister

Chalerm has been an ally of Thaksin since the ousted premier entered politics. His heyday was during the government of the late Prime Minister Chatchai Choonhavan. He was a minister and Chatchai's close aide who challenged defiant commanders of the armed forces.

Choosak Sirinin: PM's Office Minister

A legal adviser to the defunct Thai Rak Thai Party and deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Choosak Sirinin was one of the people who stood up to fight against the party's dissolution.

Sompong Amornwiwat: Justice Minister

After the Thai Rak Thai Party was dissolved and its 111 executives banned from politics last May, the 66-year-old played the role of "big brother" by chairing a panel to screen new executives for the ad hoc Thai Rak Thai Group.

Noppadon Pattama: Foreign Minister

More recently the Shinawatra family's legal adviser, Noppadon Pattama joined the Thai Rak Thai Party because the then Natural Resources and Environment minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat invited him to reform the law during the Thaksin administration.

Surapong Suebwonglee: Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister

Surapong is a cofounder of the defunct Thai Rak Thai Party and a member of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra's inner circle.

He was with Thaksin in New York on September 19, 2006, when the coup occurred, but kept a low profile after returning to Thailand the following month.

Jakrapob Penkair: PM's Office Minister and Government Spokesman

Jakrapob Penkair is better known as a celebrity, especially after his work as a presenter for the Apec summit hosted in Thailand in 2003. Jakrapob ran in the 20052006 elections but failed. However, Thaksin appointed him as deputy secretary-general to prime minister in 2006.

When the Thai Rak Thai Party was dissolved, he and other loyal aides of Thaksin set up a cableTV station called Public Television (PTV) to broadcast their sentiment against the junta.

Party representatives

17 politicians from the parties that joined PPP to gain a majority.

Full Article: The Nation

Thought: Welcome back TRT, lets hope you don't spend the next four years enhancing your wealth at Thailand's expense. When does Thaksin's wife get a position in government? ... how about the land department?
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I've got a bad feeling about this

[lomuamart]

This is all just amazing. An update from The Nation:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/02/07/politics/politics_30064675.php

When I took a quick look earlier today, from yesterday's news, Samak was saying that he wants to be in power for the full 4 year term and he would only consider the reinstatement of the 111 TRT MPs 3 months before that.
Thaksin wasn't mentioned.
So has the the successor outsmarted that his "boss". Also, I think Samak said he'd consider Thaksin's return in a couple of years. BTW, it wasn't to be able to take up political office again (Thaksin and the 111 MP's were barred for 5 years). Only to come back here, which he has always been able to do with criminal charges outstanding.
Ho ho.
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"I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars - the rest I just squandered". George Best.

[sandman67]

Aaahh now I get it....

so in Thailand what happens is you get caught with your dirty fat fingers in the till and banned from politics.....and then next time you get your wife/brother/father/son in law/pet dog to run for election.....

the prole mugs vote for them as they must know what they are doing - they are relatives !

then you sit back and pull the strings......a bit like Mr T yanking Samak's choke chain....

now I understand!

All they need to do now is open every parliament session with "The March of the Clowns" and a resounding call of "Thats the way to do it!".
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If I can't smoke and swear I'm f****d!
"To sin by silence makes cowards of men"

[lomuamart]

That's about it really.
I've just been searching the archives for The Nation and BBK Post from today. The stuff I saw was at about 6.30am.
The Nation definitely reported that Samak would only consider the 111 MPs to stand for election again in about 3.75 years. Ie, 3 months before he left power. Thaksin was left out of it. That article has gone from archives now and it was published only a matter of hours ago.
Maybe someone else can find it? Because the turnaround to one of T's cronies suggesting he get a diplomatic passport back - within a few hours - is amazing.
AFAIA, there are still criminal charges outstanding against Our Glorious Leader. Until they are resolved, I'd doubt a DP is viable?
Edit: the article also definitely reported that Samak wouldn't consider Thaksin to get into politics for the full 4 years. I can't remember the headline, but that's the gist and I'm sure I didn't have a hangover today.
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"I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars - the rest I just squandered". George Best.

[STEVE G]

Lomu, he was certainly reported as saying this in Mondays Bangkok Post:

‘‘Anyway, if we can work, we can make it through the four years of the government’s term,’’ he said.


His government plans to propose an amendment to the constitution which he said was written to put a political block on Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted from the top job by coup makers in 2006.


The amendment would be processed three months before the end of the government’s term, said Mr Samak.