Last updated on May 18th, 2021 at 06:07 am
Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin and main figure of the Sam Mitr faction in the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) stated that there would be few broken hearts as a result of the cabinet reshuffle this month.
Commenting on the prospects of some key PPRP figures failing to obtain their desired cabinet seats, Mr Somsak said on Sunday that this may have some effect on their work in the Parliament, but there should be no problem after talks have been held to clear up the air.
People who are going to miss out on the next reshuffle are like someone with a broken heart. They might be surprised, but they’ll recover in a few weeks ‘ time. They’ll have to cope quickly because they’ve had some knowledge with reshuffles in the past.
As a result of reports that the post of Deputy Labor Minister will be opened to end the battle for cabinet quotas in the PPRP, Mr Somsak said that the appointment of a Deputy Labor Minister is natural and that the person who wins the post will support the staff affected by the economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, the Labor Ministry has only the Labor Minister in charge, who functions without a counterpart.
The reshuffle is scheduled to be finished by the middle of this month. Speculation that the role of Deputy Labor Minister will be of the greatest interest is the energy portfolio, which is supposed to be offered to an outsider, although Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, another main figure of Sam Mitr, has refused to covet the job and said that he is happy to work wherever he is.
Meanwhile, Anusorn Iamsa-ard, spokesperson for the opposition Pheu Thai Party, called on the Prime Minister to change the constitution to defuse the tensions emanating from student protests.
The Constitution should be changed to switch from the use of a single ballot for both the electorate and the party-listed Representatives to two separate ballots that accurately reflect the wishes of the voters. Other provisions aimed at reform are those connected with the Senate, in particular Section 269, which allowed the NCPO to nominate 250 senators to serve for five years, leading to allegations that they are government yes-men.
Such senators are required to join the Members of Parliament in voting for the Prime Minister. In related news, the majority of people agree with the student protests that they have the right to freedom of speech in democracy, according to the findings of the Nida Poll opinion survey.
Asked if they agreed with the protests, a small majority 54 per cent answered yes, with 35 percent voicing strong support and saying they wanted to see reform to better the country, while 19 per cent answered they agreed somewhat. The survey was conducted on 1,250 people aged 18 years and over various rates of education and occupation across the world.
