Thai coup leaders may appoint military premier

Thailand’s military rulers said today that they wrote a temporary constitution appointing themselves advisers to any interim government, and hinted they might replace ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra with an ex-military man.

Coup leader Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin told reporters that the ruling military council hoped to install a new civilian prime minister “as soon as possible,” but was still narrowing down its candidates for the job. He did not rule out a former soldier for the temporary role.

“When you say ’civilian prime minister,’ you will see that soldiers after they retire can be called civilians,” Sondhi said in a response to a question during a nationally televised press conference.

Sondhi led a coup that ousted Thaksin on September 19 and said at the time that a civilian leader would be installed within two weeks – or by October 4.

But today he said the military council – formally called the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy – will stay on in an advisory role after it hands over power to a civilian government.

Under the temporary constitution the ruling council will be “transformed” into a panel of security ministers, called the National Security Council, to “advise” the government on security matters, Sondhi said.

“We do not know what the internal situation will be in the future,” Sondhi said. “As of today, the situation is calm, orderly and peaceful, but we do not know what is going to happen in the future.”

The military council has said it wants a constitution with less “loopholes” that makes future leaders more accountable. Sondhi said today that a draft interim constitution has been written and will be submitted for endorsement by Thailand’s king by Sunday.

A prime minister can be named once the king has approved the temporary constitution.

Sondhi said the new prime minister will have a free hand to choose ministers for a 35-member Cabinet.

Since taking power, the military council has established several anti-corruption panels to investigate accusations of wrongdoing against the Thaksin government.

The military has cited official corruption as one of the reasons for its September 19 coup, staged while Thaksin was attending the annual UN General Assembly meetings in New York.

The top graft fighting panel said yesterday it might freeze the assets of Thaksin and his top aides if evidence is found that they tried to transfer their wealth abroad. Thaksin is currently in London.

Sondhi said he did not expect Thaksin to return home anytime soon.

“I think he is aware of the situation,” Sondhi said. “I do not think he will return in the near future.”

Thaksin’s family is one of the wealthiest in Southeast Asia – and was even before he became prime minister in 2001.

The military council has also promised to hold elections by October next year after a new constitution is enacted to replace the one scrapped when it ousted Thaksin.