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Published: 26 Oct 2012 at 10.31
Online news: Local News

Cabinet is undergoing a major facelift just ahead of the looming censure debate, although Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra denied it was a move to pre-empt the opposition's onslaught on certain vulnerable ministers.

The shakeup will see 14 new - or not so new - faces in the lineup, with several former Thai Rak Thai MPs from the so-called House No 111 being brought into the cabinet, which means that 14 incumbent ministers are to be chopped. The list has gone to the King for royal endorsement and hasn't been officially announced yet.

Altogether 23 cabinet seats are to be affected which means that some of the current ministers who retain their seats will have to swop positions. For instance, Deputy Agriculture Minister Nattawut Saikuar, a red-shirt leader, will be moved to the Commerce Ministry as the deputy minister and his first task will be to defend Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom, who is targeted for censure over the rice pledging scheme.

It was speculated that Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung will lose the deputy premier’s portfolio and be appointed justice minister, replacing Pol Gen Pracha Promnok who is likely to be removed.

It was also speculated that Deputy Prime Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa could be dropped from the cabinet list. If that is the case, his removal could impact on the implementation of government policy in the restive deep South as he is also in charge of overseeing the situation in the region.

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domdunnn
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Discussion 6 : 27 Oct 2012 at 16.056
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englishbob D4

Thaksin's 'fasting' statement was stupid and insensitive.
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domdunnn
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Discussion 5 : 26 Oct 2012 at 23.095
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howell D5

No, I dont think it would help and I dont think it is a factor in the state of the EU.

Ministries should be chock full of experts, what the Minister brings is a set of objectives decided by the cabinet and it is his responsibility to get them to produce workable policies that he can sell to the cabinet and the electorate.

In certain cases such as Ministers responsible for legal affairs it is sometimes considered an advantage but, for example, it is rare to find a Defence Minister in Europe who has served in the armed forces.

Today most minister the world over are either professional politicians or lawyers.
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englishbob
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Discussion 4 : 26 Oct 2012 at 20.094
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Domdunn - Is the British Minister experienced in arson?

Tak Bai wasn't a tragedy... it was a massacre. Unless you believe the 78 men who died in the trucks were 'weak from fasting for Ramadan'. Do you believe that, Dom? Would you care to condemn Thaksin's words?
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dickemery
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Discussion 3 : 26 Oct 2012 at 19.033
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the cabinet met in surat thani to approve 40 billion project in the south but not deep south ? ,and not phuket as promised,a new covention centre,when local mp question why this regime had cancelled,pm yingluck kept silent,when asked want happened to the funded 2.6 billion given by the world bank ?,there was silence, it was approved a few years ago by av including a convention centre in chang mai which have recently been completed ?,against opposition to chai mai project, av approved both project,and chalerm for justice minister,not a good idea, and the deep south was quiet only 2 propelled grenades went off ?
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domdunnn
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Discussion 2 : 26 Oct 2012 at 18.112
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whatajoke D1

Why do you think that a minister should have expertise relevant to the ministry he heads? Ministers are the chief executives of their ministry, their job is to coordinate the efforts of civil servants in producing the policies demanded by the government.
In Europe ministers switch ministries all the time, one current British Minister has in his career been the minister for Justice- Business- Finance- Interior- Education- Health. Nobody expects him to be an expert in all these disciplines (he's a lawyer) he gets the job done by harnessing the skills of others.
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whatajoke
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Discussion 1 : 26 Oct 2012 at 16.111
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I was cynical before about what expertise Nattawud had in Agriculture, but after just 6 months he's now suddenly qualified to be Commerce Deputy Minister and even know enough about the ministry to defend the minister himself in a censure debate. Meanwhile, need I even say more about the suitability of Chalerm at the Justice Ministry (we all know what his brief will be there), mind you, relative to our PM who herself has barely completed the freshman year of her distinguished career in politics, this lot are old-timers. Such an utter charade.
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