Premier says time will tell if he will also hold Defence portfolio
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin did not rule out the possibility of him concurrently holding the Defence portfolio when he reshuffles the Cabinet, saying it would depend on time and opportunity.
Unlike on Tuesday, when he categorically denied he would oversee the Defence Ministry, Srettha responded to the same question on Thursday with a smile.
“At this second, I’m still the prime minister and finance minister,” he said.
The premier was speaking to reporters after the weekly Cabinet meeting, which had been postponed from Tuesday.
When asked again if there was a chance of him leading the Defence Ministry, Srettha said: “I think everything will depend on chance and time. Let’s see about it when it happens.”
It has been rumoured that Srettha will give his Finance portfolio to his adviser and Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) chairman Pichai Chunhavajira, and take the Defence Ministry off Sutin Klungsang’s hands.
Sutin will supposedly be removed from the Cabinet to help the coalition leader, Pheu Thai Party, manage parliamentary affairs.
When asked if he would leave the Finance portfolio before the mission of the 10,000-baht digital wallet handout is completed, Srettha said: “I won’t answer this, but I think the issue of the digital wallet scheme has been finalised and was announced clearly on April 10.”
Asked if he would pass the finance minister’s baton to someone else, Srettha said he had "nothing" to pass on.
As for whether any Cabinet member had sought an explanation on reports that certain ministers would be removed, the premier said: “No one has asked me anything. We are all just working as usual.”
When asked if coalition partner, Palang Pracharath Party, has proposed a name for its vacant Cabinet seat, Srettha said Agriculture Minister Thamanat Prompow had not raised the issue with him. Thamanat is the party’s secretary-general.
“I spoke to him about corn farming and other issues related to the Agriculture Ministry, but he didn’t talk about his party’s quota,” the PM said.
When asked if he would discuss the Cabinet reshuffle with coalition partners, Srettha said he would speak to them separately about their work as ministers, not about the reshuffle.
The premier also declined to confirm or deny any speculation that Pheu Thai will take the House speaker’s post back from Prachachart Party leader, Wan Muhamad Noor Matha.
“I have no idea. You should ask the Pheu Thai leader [Paetongtarn Shinawatra] about it,” Srettha replied.
