BANGKOK: Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (pic left), in his capacity as leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, on Saturday (Sept 20) announced that he has scheduled the first cabinet meeting after the official swearing-in ceremony on Sept 24
He is also expected to allocate responsibilities for each Deputy Prime Minister at the meeting.
The meeting will also propose the appointment of the Secretary-General of the Prime Minister’s Office to ensure coordination and immediate action.
He further stated that, following the first cabinet meeting, the Speaker of the Parliament would be invited to announce the government’s policies to Parliament as soon as possible, depending on the availability of the Speaker to schedule a meeting for both houses.
Regarding the opposition’s focus on scrutinising ministerial qualifications rather than government policies, Anutin assured that before presenting the cabinet members’ names, all qualifications are thoroughly checked by relevant agencies, not just personally by him.
The checking process follows established procedures by the Office of the Secretariat of the Cabinet, and after calling meetings with all seven related agencies, no issues were found.
He further confirmed that anyone with qualification issues would be removed from the list.
When asked about the four-month dissolution timeline, Anutin responded: “I don’t want people to speculate. We’ve signed an agreement, and we will follow through. It’s not just about what’s written, it’s about fulfilling our promises.”
When asked if meeting with various politicians to build relationships for the next election is part of the strategy, Anutin responded, “Every party will have to prepare for the election. The political sector must engage in political activities to prepare for the election. If we say that parliament will be dissolved in four months, we have to start preparing for the election now. The Bhumjaithai Party has been preparing for the last two months.”
When asked if people are already looking beyond the four-month timeframe and considering the possibility that Anutin might become Prime Minister again, he said, “No, no, don’t think that far ahead. We are doing our best every day. The election is about the policies; it depends on those.
“Right now, things are getting a bit tougher since today Bhumjaithai is back in government and the party leader is the Prime Minister. There are new challenges, and I must do my best in this position. If I don’t, the people may not choose us if they are not satisfied. We have to do everything to make the people happy.”
Asked about his party’s growing influence, Anutin responded: “Let’s not speculate. It’s up to us to define our path and expand as necessary. We are working without breaks to serve the people, and that’s what matters.” – The Nation/ANN
