The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) has submitted a letter to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, asking her to pass on her list of appointments to Pol Gen Phatcharavat Wongsuwan, who is in line to be named natural resources and environment minister.
In the letter, the coalition partner said the party has supported Ms Paetongpat as the prime minister and had nominated the same four MPs from the Srettha government to keep those roles in the new government.
The four are Pol Gen Phatcharavat as natural resources and environment minister, Capt Thamanat Prompow as agriculture and cooperatives minister, Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn as deputy agriculture and cooperatives minister and Santi Promphat as deputy public health minister.
The party’s ministerial candidate list has been submitted to Dr Prommin Lertsuridej, the PM’s secretary-general, by PPRP leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwon. If the ruling party deems any of the four to be ineligible, the PPRP leader will find a replacement later.
Citing media reports that the secretariat has issued candidates with forms to fill for background checks, the PPRP said Pol Gen Phatcharavat has yet to receive the documents in question.
To avoid delay in background checks, the party has requested the prime minister to instruct the cabinet secretariat to send the document to Pol Gen Patcharavat so that he can fill them out and forward them back.
Democrat talks denied
Rumour had it that Capt Thamanat, the PPRP secretary-general, was in talks with a key faction in the opposition Democrat Party about a possible deal that might earn both sides some cabinet seats. However, he denied last week that he had ever submitted a separate list of nominated PPRP MPs to Pheu Thai.
Dr Prommin said on Monday that some parties have yet to forward their ministerial candidates and background checks are being conducted on those whose names were submitted.
Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said he expects the new cabinet to be formed by the end of this month so that the government can announce its policy statement before parliament by Sept 15.
Narumon Pinyosinwat, leader of the little-known Kla Dharma Party and a former key PPRP member, will be named the agriculture and cooperatives minister in case Capt Thamanat is deemed unfit.
