Anutin pushes cabinet rejig

Anutin pushes cabinet rejig

Bhumjaithai boss 'not targeting posts'

A cabinet shake-up should be considered in the aftermath of the censure debate, according to Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul.

Mr Anutin, also a deputy prime minister and the public health minister, said on Mondaythat now that the censure debate is over, it might be an opportune time to rejig the cabinet as ministers have been working in their respective portfolios for a while.

When asked by reporters if Bhumjaithai was planning to change its cabinet line-up, Mr Anutin said the issue would need time to consider.

"Politics is fluid. It's not always 100% certain," he said.

His comments came after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ruled out an immediate cabinet reshuffle following last week's censure debate in which all six ministers, including Gen Prayut, survived a no-confidence vote.

No cabinet ministers from minority coalition parties were censure targets. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon was handed the highest vote of confidence, with 277 out of 329, despite escaping scrutiny during the debate.

Mr Anutin declined to say yesterday whether the nine MPs who defected to Bhumjaithai from the dissolved Future Forward Party would boost his party's bargaining power. He suggested that demanding more cabinet posts would strain relations with coalition partners.

"Don't rock the boat and everyone will sail through the storm safe and sound," he said.

Democrat Party spokesman Ramet Rattanachaweng said his party's seven ministers had made progress and the Democrats were not concerned about a possible reshuffle. It was up to the prime minister to decide whether cabinet changes were needed, he added. But any reshuffle would not affect the party's quota, which was agreed upon when the government was formed.

Thai Civilised Party MP Mongkolkit Suksintharanon denied that his and other micro-parties in the coalition were joining together to demand a ministerial portfolio, saying it was no longer important for them to be represented in cabinet.

Meanwhile, Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta said there were no signs of an imminent full cabinet reshuffle. He believed the prime minister would stick to his word and avoid a shake-up so the cabinet can concentrate on tackling the many problems facing the country. Any cabinet reshuffle would be a limited one, said Mr Buddhipongse, who is a senior member of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said his Chartthaipattana Party was unfazed by talk of a reshuffle, adding the gossip was a waste of time.

The main opposition Pheu Thai Party, meanwhile, said a cabinet reshuffle would not save a government that is plagued by mismanagement.

Party spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard said the best solution would be for Gen Prayut to resign as prime minister.

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