Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's new cabinet prepared Sunday to be sworn in by King Bhumibol Adulyadej and begin implementing the coalition government's ambitious policy agenda.
The ceremony, to take place at 5:30 pm (1030 GMT) at the king's palace in this seaside town, will mark the official start of Thaksin's administration and end the caretaker role played by outgoing premier Chuan Leekpai.
After presenting the names of the ministers to the king for his formal approval Saturday, Thaksin publicly unveiled the line-up and vowed to get straight down to the business of running the country.
"The first task is to implement all the policies which I have promised -- I consider this is the most urgent item on the agenda," he told reporters.
In a candid admission, Thaksin acknowledged that the reputations of some of his ministers were questionable, and admitted his government was unlikely to remain untainted by corruption allegations.
But in the wake of the scandal-plagued January 6 elections which Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party won in a landslide, he appealed for the public and the press to give his ministers a chance to settle in.
"Sometimes we dream of seeing a sudden change in politics but in the real world ... reforms take time," he said. "Half the MPs are old-timers, so it takes time to replace them with fresh faces."
"I don't know what they did in the past, but I will give them all a chance. If any of them are found to be corrupt while working for me, I will get rid of them," he said, warning that a reshuffle could be announced at any time.
Thaksin has been forced to include ministers with spotty reputations because of pressure from factions in his party and from his coalition partners who all want to be represented in the cabinet.
Speculation over who will be included in Thaksin's inner circle has dominated Thailand's press and financial markets in recent weeks.
Thaksin's close adviser Somkid Jatusripitak was Saturday officially named as finance minister, charged with revitalising the Thai economy which is still suffering from the lingering effects of the 1997 financial crisis.
Thaksin was last week forced to defend Somkid against criticism that he lacked the necessary experience, saying he was confident he would eventually win wide approval.
"He cannot understand why he is accused of lacking experience in the capital and financial markets when, as matter of fact, he has been an advisor to the stock market many times," the premier said.
The defence portfolio is to be filled by former prime minister and army chief Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, who heads the New Aspiration party, one of the two partners in the Thai Rak Thai-led coalition.
With tension on the Myanmar border running high after clashes between the two national armies, Thaksin has said Chavalit will play a major role in soothing bilateral relations.
Thailand's new foreign minister is Surakiart Sethirathai, a relative unknown who served as finance minister for a year until mid-1996.
The Harvard-educated lawyer is expected to follow a foreign policy agenda based more on business concerns than issues of rights and democracy.
The Thai stock market, which has been treading water as investors awaited the official release of the cabinet list, is expected to pick up steam in the week ahead.
"I think Thaksin is a man on a mission and he's going to take action quickly," said Yuanta Securities research adviser George Huebsch.
"He's got a majority in parliament so he can push through his economic package that I think the country needs," he said.
In an unprecedented feat by a Thai political party, Thak Rai Thai now holds a simple majority in the 500-seat House of Representatives after absorbing a smaller party earlier this month -- HUA HIN, Thailand (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
