The government has not discussed the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle yet because it wants to concentrate on solving the country's problems, according to the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on Tuesday that she had assigned ministers to temporarily take over the responsibilities of Yongyuth Wichaidit, who has resigned as deputy prime minister and interior minister.
The government had to concentrate on the issues at hand, and especially at this moment the preparations to cope with a tropical storm expected to hit the country from Oct 5-8, she added.
Authorities have been instructed to discharge water from dams, dredge canals and clean up drains. Water pumps had been moved to spots east of Bangkok to drain water from flood-prone areas.
Ms Yingluck has assigned four cabinet ministers to take over Mr Yongyuth’s job.
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, who is responsible for the Interior Ministry including the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre, and Deputy Interior Minister Chuchart Harnsawat have been assigned to take on the responsibilities of the interior minister in an acting capacity.
Mr Yongyuth also oversaw the Transport and Social Development and Human Security ministries before he stepped down on Oct 1.
The prime minister directed Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong and Deputy Prime Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa to take over these two agencies.
Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Natthawut Saikua supported the prime minister’s decision and denied that the red shirts had exerted any pressure on Ms Yingluck to allocate cabinet seats to their members.
The key leader of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship insisted that some red-shirt leaders, including Jatuporn Prompan, should be given a chance to be a minister in the cabinet reshuffle.