Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak may not take any ministerial position in the next government if the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) fails to control all key economic ministries, which it insisted is needed to ensure continuity in the current government's policy, a PPRP source says.
The PPRP's insistence on taking back key ministries from its allies appears to be a major stumbling block to forming a coalition, with the Democrat and Bhumjaithai parties expected to be affected by a possible redistribution of cabinet posts.
Without any key economic ministries left for the PPRP, Mr Somkid may not join the next cabinet because he would lack mechanisms that are essential to solving economic problems, the source said. Currently, Mr Somkid is in charge of the government's economic team. It is also noteworthy that some of the PPRP's current executives were previously members of the economic team led by Mr Somkid.
Those executives include: PPRP leader and former industry minister Uttama Savanayana; party secretary-general and former commerce minister Sontirat Sontijirawong; PPRP deputy leader and former science and technology minister Suvit Maesincee; and party spokesman and former PM's Office minister Kobsak Pootrakul.
The source said that Mr Somkid wanted to take back the key economic ministries from coalition allies and hand them to these PPRP executives who were his former subordinates, so they could work together again as an economic team under him in the new government, with Mr Uttama tipped to control the Transport Ministry, Mr Sontirat expected to return to the helm at the Commerce Ministry, and Mr Kobsak expected to be put in charge of the Finance Ministry.
Earlier, the PPRP reportedly agreed to let coalition partners take some key ministries they asked for as conditions for joining the government.
The Democrat Party had been promised the agriculture, commerce and social development portfolios while Bhumjaithai looked set to secure the Transport Ministry. But the PPRP now wants to reclaim the agriculture and commerce portfolios from the Democrats and offer the education and foreign affairs ministerial posts as replacements instead, the source said.
PPRP-list MP Somsak Thepsuthin, who is a key figure of the Sam Mitr (Three Allies) faction, earlier said if the party fails to control the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, this will cause damage to its election pledges.
Mr Uttama said on Friday that coalition parties were still in talks over the allocation of cabinet posts. The PPRP has appointed Mr Sontirat to lead a working group tasked with coordinating with other coalition parties. Mr Uttama said that coalition partners will discuss how to combine their policies into a collective government policy manifesto.
He said the next government will carry on with the current government's state welfare card project, adding that the liberalisation of cannabis use which is one of the Bhumjaithai's key election pledges, will also be discussed. Mr Suvit said the PPRP's policies are modelled on those of the current government, adding that it is necessary to fine-tune policies of each coalition party so they can be blended together.
Phichai Ratnatilaka Na Bukhet, dean of the School of Social and Environmental Development of the National Institute of Development Administration, said that if the PPRP breaks the agreements it made with its allies, this will create mistrust and have an impact on the next government's stability.
However, he still believed that the dispute over the allocation of cabinet posts will end shortly as newly elected politicians do not want another election so soon, Assoc Prof Phichai said.
The problems among the coalition parties could also re-emerge after the new government is six months or a year old, which could end up in a House dissolution, he said.
