Junta chief “not worried” over becoming 29th Thai PM

BANGKOK, August 21 (TNA) - Army and National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha, who was unanimously voted by National Legislative Assembly (NLA) members on Thursday morning to become Thailand’s 29th prime minister, says that he is “not worried” over taking the interim premiership post. General Prayuth told journalists that he was reluctant to answer questions because he has not yet received a Royal Command endorsing his interim premiership. General Prayuth assessed, however, that the appointment of an interim Cabinet should be finished in line with the NCPO's roadmap. The junta chief made the remarks after he attended a function marking the 64th anniversary of the founding of the 21 Infantry Regiment in seaside Chon Buri Province in the Thai East earlier in the day. The junta chief later boarded a helicopter with his wife, Naraporn Chan-ocha, and a former army chief, General Anupong Paochinda, to return to Bangkok. Meanwhile, NLA President Pornpetch Wichitcholchai then told reporters that a preparation for necessary documents was expected to be soon completed so that the documents would be forwarded to the Office of His Majesty the King’s Principal Private Secretary by August 21 for the official appointment of the junta chief as Thailand's interim prime minister in a Royal Command. Pornpetch noted that after the royal approval is given, a maximum of 35–member Cabinet will be formed and the new Thai Cabinet will start working after they take an oath before His Majesty the King. The NLA president indicated although the current interim Charter does not specify that the incoming provisional government must present its policies to the NLA, it is expected that the provisional administration will do so, during which NLA members can question the interim premier, but they cannot table a vote of no confidence against the interim prime minister and NCPO chief, who is responsible for establishing the NLA. (TNA)