Phumtham to become acting prime minister - Suriya

Acting Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said today that he has signed an order appointing Phumtham Wechayachai as the acting prime minister.

He said he will still lead 14 new ministers and those who change positions, including Phumtham, the new interior minister, and Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the new culture minister, to an audience with His Majesty the King for an oath-taking ceremony tomorrow.

After the oath-taking, he said Phumtham will become the acting prime minister and interior minister simultaneously.

Phumtham missed out on the opportunity of becoming the acting prime minister, after the Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn from performing her duties as prime minister, due to legal technicality.

He was removed as a deputy prime minister and defence minister before being reappointed as a deputy prime minister and interior minister in a Cabinet reshuffle, but his reappointment will only take effect once he is sworn in tomorrow.

The new Cabinet may hold its first meeting tomorrow.

Phumtham went to the Ministry of Defence today to pay his respects to the deities guarding the ministry and to bid farewell to the officials there.

While complaining that his nine-month stint as the defence minister was short, he said that he had resolved some unfinished matters, such as the submarine procurement issue, which is now pending with the Cabinet, and the procurement of modern weaponry for the armed forces.