BANGKOK: Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai (pic) will be appointed caretaker Prime Minister during a special Cabinet meeting on Thursday (July 2), following an oath-taking ceremony earlier in the day, Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit confirmed.
Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said on Wednesday (July 2) that Suriya, acting as Prime Minister, will lead the new ministers of the second Paetongtarn Cabinet for a royal audience at the Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall on Thursday morning, where they will be sworn in before His Majesty the King.
After the ceremony, Suriya will convene a special Cabinet meeting at the Command Building at Government House at 2pm, the spokesman added.
The new Cabinet was announced on Tuesday, the same day that Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended from duty by the Constitutional Court following a petition by a group of senators.
Phumtham will participate in the oath-taking ceremony as he was removed from his previous role as deputy prime minister and defence minister, and reappointed as deputy prime minister and interior minister in the new Cabinet.
Jirayu stated that the special Cabinet meeting would discuss the distribution of responsibilities among deputy prime ministers and certain ministers.
Meanwhile, Suriya confirmed on Wednesday morning that, after the oath-taking ceremony, he would sign an order as acting Prime Minister to appoint Phumtham as caretaker Prime Minister.
A Government House source told Thansetthakij that during the special meeting, the Cabinet would invoke Article 41 of the Act on Rules for Public Administration of the State, BE 2534, to appoint Phumtham as caretaker Prime Minister.
The source said that after Phumtham's appointment, he would invoke Article 11(2) of the Act to distribute responsibilities among the deputy prime ministers. He would assign them to oversee various agencies and ministries.
The source also noted that during the meeting, the Cabinet would be updated on key national situations.
The Cabinet would also be asked to approve an exemption from enforcing a previous Cabinet resolution on mangrove forest protection, to allow the construction of a highway in Chachoengsao.
The source added that the special Cabinet meeting would be brief and conclude after the discussion on the Chachoengsao highway matter. - The Nation/ANN
