UPCOMING MILITARY RESHUFFLE
WASSANA NANUAM
Resistance has emerged to the prospect of army chief Anupong Paojinda doubling as supreme commander in the imminent annual military reshuffle, an army source said. The opposition comes as the Supreme Command will be restructured under the new name of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters, the source said.
The source said that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej had thrown his support behind Gen Anupong to double as supreme commander under the new structure to make politics and the armed forces secure, the source said.
Present Supreme Commander Boonsrang Niempradit will retire at the end of September.
Under the structure of the new Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters, the supreme commander will be picked from one of the commanders of the army, the navy and the air force.
The other commanders will serve as deputy supreme commanders.
The proposal will be sent to the cabinet for consideration. If endorsed, a royal decree will be issued to establish the new structure.
The source said that some army groups did not agree with a structure that allows a commander to double as supreme commander.
In addition, there would be a major headache if all the commanders of the three forces happened to retire in the same year, the source said.
But a source close to Gen Anupong said the army chief himself was not eager to take the post of supreme commander. He wanted to remain as army chief only until he retires in 2010.
Another source said Songkitti Chakkrabat, chief of the joint staff at the Supreme Command, is the favourite to replace Gen Boonsrang as Supreme Commander. Gen Songkitti retires in 2011.
The source said Gen Apichart Penkitti, deputy defence permanent secretary, would succeed Gen Winai Phattiyakul as permanent secretary.
The source said Gen Boonsrang will complete the reshuffle list by next week and will send it to Mr Samak, who doubles as defence minister, by Aug 15.
The source said efforts have been made to push Gen Sukampol Suwannathat to become army chief.
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