By Thai Newsroom Reporters
NO KLATHAM MPs will by no means vote Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul for head of a post-election government unless they are otherwise brought into a potential Bhumjaithai-led coalition government, a Klatham member said today (Feb.26).
No Klatham lawmakers will eventually turn coat among a total 58 MPs led by de facto party boss Thammanat Prompao, including those allegedly guided by Chalermchai Sri-on who had earlier resigned as Democrat leader and defected to Thammanat’s camp bringing along a number of his ex-Democrat proteges to contest the Feb.8 election mostly in southern constituencies under the Klatham banners, Nudmuddin Uma said.
None of the Klatham MPs will almost certainly cast a yea vote for the naming of Anutin who concurrently acts as leader of the ultra-conservative Bhumjaithai, the largest elected party surreptitiously conducted by de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, as head of government during a special session in the House of Representatives which will follow the naming of a House speaker and a couple of deputy House speakers, according to Nudmuddin, secretary-general to the caretaker Deputy Agriculture & Cooperatives Minister Amin Mayuso.
None of the Klatham MPs, especially those representing southern constituencies, will ever cast a yea vote for Anutin if their party are not being brought into the Bhumjaithai-led government, thus becoming part of the opposition bloc, Nudmuddin said.
Nudmuddin was apparently responding to hearsay that as many as a dozen out of the total 58 Klatham MPs including those under care of Chalermchai might probably turn coat to cast a yea vote in support of Anutin for prime minister though the party’s executive board may resolve to vote otherwise, the partisan source said.
Thammanat who has apparently failed to talk his ultra-conservative party into part of the coalition government led by the ultra-conservative Newin’s camp could possibly get a boomerang effect on himself after he had orchestrated rebellions and party-skipping ventures of many renegade MPs since the time of former coup leader-turned-prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha over the last few years.
Meanwhile, the potential Bhumjaithai-led government has so far secured a coalition force of nearly 300 out of a total of 500 MPs including 193 Bhumjaithai MPs, 74 Pheu Thai MPs remotely directed by de facto party boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra and those of splinter parties, most of whom have only one or a few MPs each.
The Anutin II cabinet is largely expected to proportionately consist of 19 persons attached to the Bhumjaithai, plus four or five “non-politician technocrats” under the Bhumjaithai quota, eight persons attached to the Pheu Thai and a few others to be allocated among the splinter camps. A maximum of 36 persons is legally provided for a cabinet of ministers including a prime minister though they may assume more than one ministerial seat in concurrent fashion.
In addition to Anutin, those Bhumjaithai members of cabinet will likely include Digital Economy & Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob, the eldest son of the de facto party boss and the party secretary-general, and Transport Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, who had directed the party’s electoral campaign for southern constituencies, among others.
Anticipated to be named members of cabinet under the Pheu Thai quota are Yodchanan Wongsawat, nephew of the de facto Pheu Thai boss, Suriya Juangroongruangskit, director of the party’s electoral campaign, party leader Julapun Amornvivat and party secretary-general Prasert Chanthararuangthong, among others.
The re-elected prime minister will likely assume the interior portfolio in concurrent fashion and the defence portfolio is more or less speculated to be given to an outsider who may be a retired general whilst four “non-politician technocrats” who are currently performing in the caretaker government will likely hold onto the same ministerial seats in the Anutin II cabinet namely Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapat, Deputy Prime Minister Bowornsak Uwannot, assigned to look after the government’s legal affairs, Foreign Minister Sihasak Puangketkaeo and Commerce Minister Supajee Suthumpun who is expected to be concurrently named deputy prime minister supervising the agriculture & cooperatives portfolio.
CAPTIONS:
Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, left in above photo and right in Front Page photo, and de facto Klatham boss Thammanat Prompao. Above photo – Thai News Pix published by BBC, Front Page photo – PPTVHD36
Insert – Yodchanan Wongsawat, nephew of de facto Pheu Thai boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra. Photo – Thai Rath
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