 |
Thai PM-Apparent Postpones Announcement of Coalition Partners to Monday
Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand's prime minister-apparent, failed to formally announce the coalition partners on Thursday as scheduled but postponed it to Monday when the key policies of his Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party is unveiled.
The billionaire politician told reporters at a press conference that he will make the announcement Monday because the official results of the January 6 general election would then be much clearer.
He said his party was working out for key policies of the new Thai Rak Thai-led government, which will be focused on economic, educational, and drugs prevention and suppression measures, and planned to disclose them in the same day.
Meanwhile, the New Aspiration Party (NAP) announced late Thursday that its executive board has agreed after a meeting that the party will unconditionally join the new coalition as a junior partner after receiving an unofficial offer from TRT.
However, NAP leader Chavalit Yongchaiyudh made it clear that Thaksin is not allowed to interfere with the choice of cabinet members among NAP candidates.
"That should be our own business," said the former prime minister and ex-commander-in-chief of armed forces.
However, analysts said NAP's role in the future government would be largely sidelined due to the mere 34 seats it is expected to catch in the 500-member next parliament, compared with nearly 260 seats TRT could grab.
Reports said the NAP was pursuing the defense portfolio, while Thaksin reiterated his TRT will absolutely control the cabinet with all key posts.
Earlier today, the TRT leader, also the kingdom's telecom magnate, said after meeting a top executive from Germany's largest financial institute that he planned to rely mostly on domestic credits, rather than those from overseas sources, in implementing his party's key policies of a three-year debt moratorium for local farmers, and the establishment of community funds and public health fund.
In This Section
|