POLITICS

Political knives sharpened for Chartchai
By: AEKARACH SATTABURUT and PRADIT RUANGDIT and MANOP THIP-OSOD
Published: 20/05/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: NewsBhumjaithai Party leader Chavarat Charnvirakul insists he will replace Chartchai Pookyaporn as deputy agriculture and cooperatives minister despite his insistence on staying in the cabinet.





Beleaguered Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chartchai Pookyaporn appears composed as he heads to a news conference at the ministry.



"I'm a senior person. I will not get into a war of words with [Mr Chartchai]," said Mr Chavarat, who is the interior minister, after Mr Chartchai announced at a press conference he would not quit.

The Bhumjaithai leader earlier said he wanted Mr Chartchai to be replaced for failing to attend party meetings or join in other activities.

Mr Chartchai is a member of a faction led by banned politician Sora-at Klinprathum. A Bhumjaithai source said Mr Sora-at was manoeuvring for a replacement because he had been in conflict with Mr Chartchai.

The source said Mr Chavarat had ordered Mr Chartchai to resign. Mr Chartchai said he would do so after finishing his current tasks at the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry.

But at a news conference, Mr Chartchai said he had no plans to quit.

Mr Chartchai's comments to reporters had upset Mr Chavarat and Newin Chidchob, a key figure in Bhumjaithai, the source said.

The source quoted a Bhumjaithai executive as saying: "If he's not going to resign during the party meeting on May 21 [Thursday], we'll use a resolution from the meeting of the party's MPs to force him out."

The source said Mr Chartchai had performed well as a deputy minister but had failed to contribute to the party's political activities.

Bhumjaithai will meet tomorrow to discuss Mr Chartchai's replacement. A strong candidate is Nakhon Phanom MP Supachai Phosu, the source said.

In the wake of reports of a cabinet change under the Bhumjaithai quota, the Puea Pandin Party is demanding another cabinet seat.

Puea Pandin spokesman Alongkot Maneekart said the party held 24 House seats but only received three cabinet portfolios. With 24 MPs the party should get an additional cabinet seat.

It was hardly fair that Bhumjaithai, which has just a few seats more than Puea Pandin, had more cabinet ministers, Mr Alongkot said.

Democrat spokesman Buranaj Samuttaraks and other new MPs denied Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was facing pressure from about 50 members for changes.

Nipit Intarasombat, an MP from Phatthalung, said reshuffling cabinet portfolios now would split the party.

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