BANGKOK, July 1- The Thai cabinet headed by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has formed a new line-up under which nearly half of the portfolio changed hands, China’s Xinhua news agency reported.
Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej (photo) granted a royal audience late Sunday to Prime Minister Yingluck and the 18 newly appointed members at the Siriraj Hospital, where he has been staying for treatment since 2009.
The new cabinet members took their oaths before the monarch and officially assumed their duties. The reshuffle allows Yingluck, the country’s first female prime minister, to become the first woman to head defence ministry.
Sixteen other politicians, either concurrently being MPs of the ruling party or non-elected ones, were named members of the new Yingluck cabinet, including Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisal, as deputy prime minister-cum-commerce minister, Benja Luicharoen as deputy finance minister, Pavena Hongsakul as social development and human security minister, Vichet Kasemthongsri as natural resources &andenvironment minister, Chaikasem Nitisiri as justice minister,
Chaturon Chaisaeng as education minister, Pirapun Palusook as science and technology minister and Chalerm Yubamrung as labour minister.
Yingluck is scheduled to chair a cabinet meeting on Monday to allocate responsibilities to the new ministers.
In the previous Yingluck cabinet, Niwatthamrong was minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office. Referring to the controversial rice-pledging scheme, the new commerce minister said after the swearing-in ceremony that he will work for the benefit of farmers and will suppress all forms of corruption.
– BERNAMA
