Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra says her first policy statement next week will echo that of her predecessor Srettha Thavisin, except for some details of the digital wallet handout programme.
Ms Paetongtarn spent Thursday working at Shinawatra Tower 3, the temporary headquarters of the Pheu Thai Party, to finalise the statement. Her father, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, was spotted going into the building via an underground entrance but he declined to talk to reporters.
Most of the content of the policy statement would be the same as that of the previous government, said Ms Paetongtarn.
“Existing policies will be mostly emphasised but there will be slight changes including those concerning the digital wallet,” she said, referring to the handout stimulus scheme championed by Mr Srettha.
Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat admitted on Wednesday that the handout programme needed some adjustment, which would include giving cash instead of digital money to some recipients.
Ms Paetongtarn also said that she would proceed with the investment policies of her predecessor.
“Although the prime minister was replaced, the Pheu Thai Party remains as the core of the coalition government,” she said.
She also promised to proceed with the international trade policies begun under Mr Srettha.
Ms Paetongtarn said she would also consider policy proposals from other coalition parties in the draft that she hoped to finalise later on Thursday.
The prime minister also responded to criticism of the new cabinet line-up, which contains a number of family members of veteran politicians. She said she viewed the moves positively as there would be more support for the work of her new ministers.
Asking for sympathy
Ms Paetongtarn, 38, also said that critics should stop nitpicking and give her the chance to work to the best of her abilities.
“Give the prime minister some sympathy. Don’t lodge too many complaints. Sometimes, one should not attach too much importance to minor issues,” she said.
Her remarks followed a complaint filed with the Election Commission on Wednesday by serial petitioner Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, who claims Ms Paetongtarn is being manipulated by her father. The complaint also questioned the legitimacy of her decision to resign from her directorships of 20 companies before assuming the premiership.
The public will get their first chance to see the new PM in action in parliament when she delivers her policy statement. Government chief whip Wisut Chainarun said Thursday and Friday next week had been set aside to hear and debate the statement.
Separately, caretaker Deputy Interior Minister Sabeeda Thaised shrugged off criticism that she was appointed to the post simply because she is a member of a political clan that is aligned with the new government.
She said she was ready to take over the job from her father, Chada Thaised, who decided to step aside and allow her to become deputy interior minister under the Bhumjaithai quota.
The holder of a law degree, Ms Sabeeda, 39, has worked as an adviser to her father for some time. An influential figure in Uthai Thani, Mr Chada was seen as a prime target for an ethics investigation, which is why he decided to decline a cabinet post.
Sirikanya Tansakun, a list MP of the opposition People’s Party, said several ministers in the new cabinet were not appointed based on their merits, though she admitted PM’s Office Minister Chusak Sirinil is a good fit for the job as he is a prominent legal expert.
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