Bangkok: Chusak Sirinil, the Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, has disclosed that the Cabinet held a special meeting to appoint Bhumtham Wechayachai as acting Prime Minister. Chusak emphasized that the meeting did not touch upon the dissolution of Parliament but focused on ensuring the continuity of government operations. The Cabinet will remain functional, although decisions that would bind future Cabinet members are on hold. Additionally, preparations are underway to appoint someone to manage issues related to the Thai-Cambodian border.
According to Thai News Agency, the special Cabinet meeting was convened following Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s departure from office after a Constitutional Court ruling, resulting in the resignation of the entire Cabinet. The constitution mandates that the outgoing Cabinet stays in office until a new one is established. In the absence of a Prime Minister and a Deputy Prime Minister, the Cabinet is required to appoint one of its Deputy Prime Ministers to assume the role temporarily.
The Cabinet decided to appoint Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Mr. Phumtham Wechayachai, as the acting Prime Minister. Furthermore, Dr. Prommin Lertsurayadej will continue in his role as Secretary-General to the Prime Minister. The Cabinet will operate as usual, but future policies that bind the Cabinet will be deferred. Urgent matters, however, can be addressed as necessary.
Chusak highlighted that the Cabinet is currently in a caretaker role, with political officials, including ministerial advisors, secretaries, and assistant ministers, also stepping down. He reiterated that the meeting did not deliberate on the dissolution of Parliament, focusing instead on immediate priorities.
Chusak remarked, “We’re still forming the Cabinet. We shouldn’t talk about dissolving Parliament. Let’s get it done first. If it doesn’t, we’ll talk about it later.” He also mentioned that he has not yet considered the issue of dissolving Parliament in depth.
On the Thai-Cambodian situation, Chusak noted that all orders issued by the former Prime Minister are no longer in effect. The Deputy Minister of Defense raised this matter during the Cabinet meeting, and the Prime Minister’s Secretary indicated that a new appointment proposal would be presented soon to address the role.