PM Prayut must now seek to remedy damage done by military mindset, and appoint technocrats to head ministries
It isn’t clear whether the recent abrupt resignation of Labour Minister Sirichai Distakul, a retired Army general, was linked with pending changes at the top of government. But the controversy appears to have paved the way for Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha to reshuffle the Cabinet.
Some observers suggest Sirichai was pressured to stand down after failing to meet performance goals. If so, he is in good company. In truth the entire Cabinet, which is made up of mostly retired military men, like Sirichai, continues to come up short.
That failure to achieve benchmarks is no surprise given that these former generals, appointed by Prayut, weren’t qualified to run ministries in the first place.
Many were in over their heads as soon as they took their posts, and the country and its people are the ones who have paid the penalty.
The daily pace of social, economic and political events is moving faster than at any time in history. In this dynamic environment there is no room for soldiers who know little or nothing about governance or administration.
If Prayut has any sense, he will appoint civilian technocrats to head his ministries.
This will be the fifth Cabinet reshuffle under his leadership, and by all rights it should be a major one. Currently, about a third of the Cabinet is made up of retired military top brass closely connected to the ruling junta, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).
Junta supporters have been willing to overlook the fact that ministers are unqualified to run the country, insisting that a military-run government was necessary to restore normalcy.
But over time it has become obvious that the generals are woefully out of their depth and costing the country dearly.
The voices of complaint have now grown so loud that Prayut’s administration can no longer feign deafness.
Under closest scrutiny is the Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives commanded by General Chatchai Sarikalya. Chatchai was faced with a plummeting rubber price that pushed many farmers into distress and despair. Meanwhile the Royal Irrigation Department has been rendered near powerless by successive periods of deluge and drought, leaving farmers prey to floods and water shortages.
Chatchai responded to criticism of his ministry’s performance by claiming it had not been good at promoting its accomplishments, whatever they may be, and that he stood ready, as a soldier, to take whatever comes his way.
In what seemed a last-ditch effort to salvage dignity for the soon-to-be jobless generals, Chatchai said, “I’m a soldier. I will go back to where ever I came from [if I’m removed from the Cabinet].”
Deputy Prime Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn has said the new Labour minister, or any other incoming Cabinet member, need not come from military ranks. That prompted speculation we will soon see more civilians in top office.
One Cabinet post that could very well be off limits to this trend – although it shouldn’t be – is the Interior portfolio held by General Anupong Paochinda.
Anupong was praised for his role in restoring law and order following the 2014 coup. But still lingering are controversies stemming from the purchase of overpriced military equipment when he was Army chief, and, more recently, the the Bt573-million procurement of seemingly overpriced speed guns.
Of course, ministers in a democratic governments can be incompetent too. But these ministers are accountable for their actions to the electorate, who can vote them out of power when they fail to perform or even make serious blunders.
No such safeguard has been in place in Thailand for the past three years.
While any move towards greater meritocracy in the Cabinet is welcome, since it would likely improve administration of the country, the military mindset in Thai government has already done much damage. The fallout from a deficit of accountability, questioning and expertise will be felt by all Thai citizens for years to come.
Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30331088
