Council of State panels reject Kittirat’s BOT chairmanship candidacy
The decision, based on legal reviews by three expert committees,cited his role as PM’s advisor as a political office
The Council of State committees concluded in a meeting on Tuesday that former deputy PM Kittirat Na-Ranong does not meet the qualifications required for the post of Bank of Thailand’s board chairman.
“The assessment of Kittirat’s qualifications was not based on one specific issue, but rather an overall consideration of his conduct. The council concluded that he did not meet the qualifications,” a council member said.
News emerged on Tuesday that the Council of State had disqualified Kittirat because his position as adviser to the PM can be seen as a political office.
Upon hearing the news, Kittirat posted the following comment on his Facebook page: “I have volunteered to serve the country and have never been afraid to face challenges or evade responsibility. My heartfelt gratitude goes to the permanent secretary of the Finance Ministry for believing in my ability to serve as the chairman of the Bank of Thailand's board and nominating my name for consideration. I also deeply thank the selection committee for their decision to select me for further review by the finance minister. Any decisions following this process are the rights and responsibilities of those involved in the consideration. I fully respect their decision."
Although reports initially indicated a final decision, later news revealed that the Council of State had not yet reached a conclusion on the matter and would hold a meeting today to finalize the decision.
The three committees involved legal experts from diverse fields, ensuring a thorough review of Kittirat’s qualifications. The three Council of State panels included Committee 1, which focuses on politics and administration, Committee 2 related to public administration and Committee 13, which reviews laws on public sector management.
