- Title: Thailand: Thailand's New Cabinet Holds Its First Meeting
- Date: 5th October 1998
- Summary: On October 5 1998 Thai Premier Chuan Leekpai made the first major changes to his 11-month-old government. Chuan named five ministers from a new coalition partner in the expanded government. The inclusion of former opposition Chart Pattana Party (CPP) members in the coalition gives the government a comfortable majority in Parliament to push through unpopular but much-needed legislation aimed at helping the economy recover. Chuan named CPP leader Korn Dabbaransi as his new health minister and CPP secretary general Suwat Liptapallop as industry minister. They replaced members of junior coalition partner Social Action Party. Trairong Suwankhiri, a member of Chuan's core Democrat Party, was dropped from the post of labour and social welfare minister. He was replaced by CPP member Sompong Amornviwat. Deputy Premier and Commerce Minister Supachai Panitchpakdi, who was also retained in his post, told reporters the cabinet changes would not affect the financial and economic policies. The inclusion of CPP in Chuan's coalition raises to 256 from 205 the number of seats that the government controls in the 388-seat lower House of Representatives.
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- Location: THAILAND BANGKOK
- Reuters ID: LDL00129HTFE7
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
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- Copyright Holder: Reuters Archive
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