PPRP set to mull names of new ministers

The ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) will submit the names of those it hopes to get a seat in cabinet under its ministerial quota to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha after a party meeting on Tuesday.

The party will discuss a list of people who will be nominated for cabinet seats as a cabinet reshuffle looms.

Deputy Prime Minister and party leader Prawit Wongsuwon will chair a meeting of the party's executive committee to consider a range of topics, including the list of would-be cabinet ministers, said deputy party leader Paiboon Nititawan.

The decision on who will be chosen will remain at the discretion of the prime minister, Mr Paiboon said, adding the executive committee will decide whether to reveal the list of nominees to the public.

On Tuesday, the party will also officially declare Pol Gen Yongyuth Thepchamnong, former leader of the now-dissolved Prachaniyom Party, as a new member of the PPRP after the Election Commission (EC) confirmed the dissolution of the party.

Pol Gen Yongyuth, sole MP of the Prachaniyom Party, previously said the party's executive committee had decided that executive members could no longer shoulder the burden of running the party and informed the Election Commission of its intention to cease its operations.

Mr Paiboon said he is confident the PPRP's executive committee under the leadership of Gen Prawit will strengthen party unity further and will remain a top party with at least 200 MPs at the next election.

Gen Prayut earlier revealed that a cabinet reshuffle could take place next month after Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana and three others handed in their resignation letters with immediate effect last Thursday.

The three others are Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong, Higher Education, Science and Innovations Minister Suvit Maesincee, and Kobsak Pootrakul, deputy secretary-general of the prime minister.

They were members of the economic team led by Mr Somkid, who resigned last Wednesday.

The resignation of the three ministers came after they had relinquished their membership in the PPRP on July 9 and come as the party asserts itself more in the governing coalition.

Meanwhile, Super Poll released its result of its opinion survey asking young people their views on the people likely to replace the three ministers who resigned.

A majority of respondents or 87.7% said they were not confident the names which have been mentioned would work for the good of the country.