Thai junta member says decision made on new PM

[PeteC]

BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand's military rulers have said they had selected a new prime minister to be unveiled at the weekend, but refused to say when they would lift martial law and pull troops off the streets.

Thai media were rife with speculation Thursday that the new prime minister to be announced Sunday is General Surayud Chulanont, the respected former chief of the military who had been pushed into retirement by Thaksin.

The head of the Thai navy, Admiral Satirapan Keyanon, refused to reveal the name but said the junta -- which ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on September 19 -- had come to a decision.

"The military rulers have agreed by consensus and made our choice for prime minister. We are confident that he will be acceptable to the public," said Satirapan, who sits on the new ruling junta.

The admiral said the new premier would not be wearing "this uniform" but then pointed to a senior officer from the army -- the wing of the military that Surayud comes from.

The other leading candidate for the job is former World Trade Organization chief Supachai Panitchpakdi, who has declined to comment on reports that the military would offer him the premiership.

The general said Wednesday that he would consider the job if the junta offered it to him, in part because he was worried about possible clashes between supporters and opponents of Thaksin, now in exile in London.

But a spokesman for the junta said that installing a prime minister this weekend did not mean that troops would return to barracks or that martial law would be lifted.

"As for the withdrawal of the troops and the end of martial law, it is not 100 percent clear at the moment," Lieutenant General Palangoon Klaharn said, adding that a decision might be made Friday.

The man who orchestrated the coup, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, has pledged that a premier would remain in power only one year, until elections are organized in October 2007.

But he has also indicated that the generals would keep a tight check on the new government, maintaining the junta as a Council of National Security after a premier is named.

Since the coup, the military has dismissed the parliament and government, revoked the constitution, imposed martial law and placed restrictions on the media and political parties.

Four of Thaksin's top aides have been detained as the generals stepped up investigations into alleged corruption under his administration, including the purchase of bomb scanners for Bangkok's new airport which opened Thursday.

The spotlight is also on the Thaksin family's tax-free sale of nearly two billion dollars in shares in a telecoms firm he founded, the trigger for widespread street protests that led to his eventual downfall.

Meanwhile police are investigating whether five arson attacks at schools in the northern province of Kampheang Phet, a bastion of support for Thaksin, were an act of defiance against military rule.

"We are not ruling anything out, including an attempt to incite unrest," police Major General Wasant Wassanont said.

While people in Bangkok have so far supported the military, bringing food and flowers to soldiers, the situation is less clear-cut in other parts of the country, notably among the rural poor who benefited most under Thaksin.

The prospect that the military would name a general as premier has fuelled doubts about their intentions after Thailand's first coup in 15 years, which they said was needed to restore democratic institutions crippled by corruption under Thaksin's regime.

As well as a new premier, the junta plans to unveil an interim constitution this weekend, which they say will guide the country while a military-appointed assembly writes a permanent basic law.

[Jaime]

Meanwhile police are investigating whether five arson attacks at schools in the northern province of Kampheang Phet, a bastion of support for Thaksin, were an act of defiance against military rule.

I'd be interested to know more about this; which districts in particular, as this is where the in-laws live.

[PeteC]

Meanwhile police are investigating whether five arson attacks at schools in the northern province of Kampheang Phet, a bastion of support for Thaksin, were an act of defiance against military rule.

I'd be interested to know more about this; which districts in particular, as this is where the in-laws live.

Jaime, go to www.bangkokpost.com and look at general news from the Sept. 28 edition. There should be a write up there, as there was one in the print edition today. I'll let you know about updates these coming days. Pete

[Jaime]

Thanks Pete - the attacks are on the other side of Highway 1. Still, makes you think...!

If this is the work of pro-Taksin groups it is a despicable way in which to protest.

[STEVE G]

BANGKOK (XFN-ASIA) - Thailand's junta has chosen General Surayud Chulanont, a 63-year-old former military chief, to succeed the ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, local media reported, citing government sources.

The Nation newspaper said Surayud is 'the most suitable choice in the current situation,' while the Bangkok Post said the military had asked Surayud to serve as interim prime minister.

Auditor general Jaruvan Maintaka had told local radio yesterday that Surayud had been chosen. She is not a member of the junta, however.

The generals are expected formally Sunday to announce a new prime minister after taking power in a bloodless coup on September 19.

[Guess]

Let us all hope he does a good job and remembers that the eyes of the world will be upon him.

In the meantime he needs to fight of Taksin's threatened return without the situation turning sour.

I hope he can find a way to do this legally.

As far as I am aware Taksin has not actually committed a crime in the eyes of the world or under Thai law.

Considering the fact that he is getting support from the UK and the US and all its lackies he is going to have a hell of a challenge on his hands.

The UN, yet again seem to be bowing to the pressure of its major fundraiser, the US. I was under the understanding that Taksin was not recognised as head of state since his resignation. In a monarchy that surely means that the King has supreme power.

I hope all you guys out there in the West are spreading the word that although Taksin was elected democratically, it was by corrupt methods and the results were not a true represenation of the nations wishes.

Don't forget that Hitler and Sadam Hussein were also voted in democratically so if exceptions to the upholding of democracy were used in both those cases then why not now. Surely it cannot be in the interest of the Western Powers to start making enemies in this region so I hope they give this guy a chance to get on with a truly enormous challenge.

[johnnyk]

Seems to me that it has taken a fair length of time to name a new PM.
I wonder if some of the previously-mentioned candidates turned it down as a bag of shite they didn't want to be holding.

[caller]

Guess,

Its low key news here now. The above has been reported in this mornings Times and I thought the US was just acting in accordance with its constitution(?) about not supporting military coups. they had said the aid will be restored when an elected Govt. is.

There have been no comments from the UK govt, since Margaret Beckett said the fact the Thai ex-pm is here shouldn't be read as support, that he won't be meeting Blair and the UK isn't seeking his reinstatement, just the reinstatement of democracy.

There was and is a very muted response from the UK and others about what happened in LOS. I think that speaks volumes.

[STEVE G]

BANGKOK (AP), Thailand Thai television stations are expected to broadcast the swearing in Sunday of the country's new interim prime minister, according to two station employees.

Former army commander Surayud Chulanont is widely expected to be named the interim prime minister.

Surayud, though, refused Saturday to comment on his possible appointment and the country's ruling military council has yet to release the name of the leader it plans to submit to King Bhumibol Adulyadej for endorsement.

Thailand's Auditor General Jaruvan Maintaka, whom the military leaders entrusted almost immediately after the coup with investigating possible corruption in the administration of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was quoted by local media as saying late Thursday that Surayud was the ruling military council's choice.

[Hublet]

[quote="Guess"]Let us all hope he does a good job and remembers that the eyes of the world will be upon him.

I hope all you guys out there in the West are spreading the word that although Taksin was elected democratically, it was by corrupt methods and the results were not a true represenation of the nations wishes.


Well said Ace. And yes we are doing our best to put some perspective back in the minds of the Westerners (well in my case Aussies). What really astounds me is that the people here actually believe the crap that is being fed to them through the media. UUUGGGHHH.

[migrant]

BANGKOK (XFN-ASIA) - Thailand's junta has chosen General Surayud Chulanont, a 63-year-old former military chief, to succeed the ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, local media reported, citing government sources.

In the California paper, he is reported to be a devout Buddhist, and a long history, and reputation, of being uncorruptable.

They said the military junta submitted his name to the King for approval