Thailand awaits king to approve new PM

Retired army commander General Sorayud Chulanont was expected to be named interim prime minister today following the announcement of a temporary constitution which reserved considerable powers for Thailand’s military coup makers.

The ruling military council has broadly hinted that Surayud would take the job and local media have reported that the highly-respected figure and adviser to the king will head a new government until elections in October 2007.

The decision appeared to have been made late last week. On Thursday, Auditor General Jaruvan Maintaka told reporters that Surayud was the ruling military council’s choice. However, she later denied making those comments.

Television stations announced that King Bhumibol Adulyadej endorsed the new constitution, which will replace the 1997 charter abolished on September 19, when military officers seized power from Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a bloodless coup.

The new rulers say the previous constitution had too many ”loopholes” which allowed Thaksin and his cronies to abuse power and engage in widespread corruption.

Under the new interim constitution, the council gave itself the power to remove the incoming government’s prime minister and Cabinet members, approve the selection of a National Assembly speaker, and final say on a 100-member committee that will write the next constitution.

The interim document also gives “complete immunity” to the coup leaders for overthrowing the government.

“I cannot reveal the name of the prime minister now, wait a little bit until tonight when you will definitely know the name of the prime minister,” coup leader Gen Sondhi Boonyaratkalin told reporters.

He said the new prime minister and government will run the country.

The military council “will not interfere in or influence the government since the prime minister is a capable and well-respected man. We will give him a free hand to run the administration of the country. Only during the transitional period when the Cabinet is not yet formed will the (council) help him in some areas,” he said. The government is expected to be formed next week.

Sondhi said he was confident the new prime minister would be capable of tackling key problems, including rampant corruption and lack of unity within Thai society in the wake of Thaksin’s government.

He also announced that four top members of Thaksin’s government had been released from detention. Held since shortly after the coup were Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit, Environment Minister Yongyut Tiyapairat, Prime Minister’s Office Minister Newin Chidchob and Thaksin’s top aide, Prommin Lertsuridej.

The new government is expected to press ahead with investigations into alleged corruption by Thaksin and his government.

On Saturday, the council replaced an earlier committee to investigate and freeze assets of the former government with a high-powered 12-member panel and also gave more authority to the National Counter Corruption Commission.

Thaksin, who is now residing in London, has been accused of corruption, abuse of power, attempting to destroy press freedom and mishandling a Muslim insurgency in southern Thailand.

One recent study reportedly estimated that systematic corruption by Thaksin’s government deprived state coffers of some 450 billion baht (€9.3bn) most of it siphoned off from 95 mega-projects during the nearly six years the prime minister was in power.

The estimate was contained in a study by faculty members of the well-regarded National Institute of Development Administration, The Nation newspaper said.