NPOMC chief announces interim administrative structure

BANGKOK, May 23 (TNA) - Thai Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha, in his capacity as chief of the National Peace and Order Maintaining Council (NPOMC), has announced an interim national administrative structure, pending the formation of a newly-elected government. Under the interim national administrative structure, announced by the coup leader on Friday, Thai Supreme Commander General Thanasak Patimapragorn is in charge of national security affairs and supervises the Ministries of Defence, Interior, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Foreign Affairs. Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Prachin Janthong is responsible for national economic affairs and supervises the Ministries of Finance, Commerce, Agriculture and Cooperatives, Labour and Transport. Navy Chief Admiral Narong Pipatanasai is tasked with national social and psychological affairs and supervises the Ministries of Public Health, Education and Social Development and Human Security. Assistant Army Chief Lieutenant General Paiboon Khumchaya is in charge of legal affairs and supervises the Ministry of Justice, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO). National Police Chief Police General Adul Sangsingkaew is tasked with overseeing all units of the permanent secretary office under the Prime Minister's Office, except the Bureau of the Budget. Genreal Prayuth said he, himself, supervises the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), the National Security Council (NSC), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Bureau of the Budget and the Royal Thai Police. The NPOMC chief also asked for cooperation from all parties, including government officials, to help handle the national administration in an integrated manner, reduce divisiveness in the society and concretely speed up national development. According to the coup leader, once the domestic situation returns to normal, with national restructuring in all areas, covering economic, social and political aspects, acceptable to all sides, Thailand will then return to the democratic rule through a fresh general election. The NPOMC head also acknowledged that a special budget has been earmarked to pay local farmers whom the government owes under the rice-pledging scheme, with the money expected to be handed out to the affected farmers within 15-20 days. The coup leader made the remarks during a meeting with heads of government and private agencies, as well as those of state enterprises and independent agencies, labour unions, banking and industrial sectors, held at the Thai Army Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in the capital, one day after the NPOMC took over the administrative power. During the meeting, the army chief clarified his decision to seize the administrative power, saying the move was necessary as conflicting parties failed to agree on a solution to the persistent domestic political deadlock, which, if further dragged on, would gravely affect the national economic and social systems. (TNA)