Bangkok: "Phumtham" insists that when joining hands with Bhumjaithai to form a government, there was no agreement on positions. "Phumtham" revealed that he still does not know about the meeting with the coalition parties about the cabinet reshuffle. It is a matter for the Prime Minister to consider. He admitted that in the past, he focused on solving the Thai-Cambodian problems. He confirmed that when he joined hands with Bhumjaithai to form a government, he did not agree on any positions. He only talked about policies. If they agreed, they could work together.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Phumtham Vejjayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, talked about the progress of the cabinet reshuffle. Has the Prime Minister arranged to discuss with the coalition parties yet? He said that in the past, he was not interested in the cabinet reshuffle at all because it would become that he would only be interested in what positions there were and how they would be divided. And in the past 3-4 days, there have been only security issues and the Thai-Cambodian border problems as the main issues from morning until night.
As for the rumor that there will be a meeting this week, Mr. Phumtham said that there is only news, but he has not heard it. We have to follow up and see. Everything depends on the Prime Minister. If the Prime Minister's stance has not changed, it has not changed.
In Mr. Phumtham's personal opinion, can the cabinet quota of the coalition parties be changed? Mr. Phumtham emphasized that the Prime Minister has not talked yet. Let him guess what he has not heard. How can he say anything? We have to wait for the Prime Minister. In the past, other work has been put on hold. Let's focus on solving the Thai-Cambodian problem.
As for Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, stating that they must adhere to the proposals from the time they invited the Bhumjaithai Party to join the government, Mr. Phumtham said that coming together as a government means coming to an agreement on what problems to solve. If the policies to be implemented are agreed upon, then they will come together.
'The discussion of forming a government is not about which positions to give to whom. Therefore, we must first understand that we are discussing policies that will work for the people. If you agree, you can join. If you disagree, you cannot join. This is the point that I took action at that time in the various discussions. Therefore, the measures that we discussed from the beginning in inviting each other to work, which I am the main person who did, depend on how we will work together. If we have the same opinion, we can work together. However, the details now depend on who proposes what, which is up to the Prime Minister,' said Mr. Phumtham.
Regarding the news that the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has accepted the investigation into corruption in the budget spending plan that Mr. Prasert Chantarawongthong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Economy and Society, approved and submitted to the Cabinet meeting, Mr. Phumtham said that it should follow the legal process that the NACC is conducting.
Is this a political game during the cabinet reshuffle? Mr. Phumtham did not answer the question and immediately walked up to the command building.