PUBLISHED: 26 Dec 2024 at 05: 34
The Council of State (CoS), the government’s legal adviser, on Wednesday denied media reports it had ruledKittiratt Na-Ranongineligible to assume the post of Bank of Thailand (BoT) board chairman.
Pakorn Nilprapunt, secretary-general of the CoS, said the government had yet to make a decision on Mr Kittiratt’s skills, and the problem was expected to remain raised for discussion after on Wednesday..
He acknowledged that the Fiscal Policy Office at the Finance Ministry had inquired about legal matters involving a BoT committee chairman’s skills.
Mr Kittiratt, a former commerce secretary, was widely regarded as a leading candidate for the place to achieve Porametee Vimolsiri.
However, his election was being questioned according to his new role as an assistant to former prime minister Srettha Thavisin, which critics said may jeopardise the company’s freedom.
However, Lawaron Sangsanit, permanent director for funding, said he never gave a press interview saying Mr Kittiratt was determined to be unsuitable to carry the article.
He claimed that the government had requested the CoS’s opinion and lawful clarification because Mr. Kittiratt had previously acted as Mr. Srettha’s legal advisor, and that it was understood that the adviser to the prime minister was not viewed as a political position.
Mr. Lawaron claimed that the agency’s decision was to make sure that its member nomination procedure was followed.
” We’re not certain about the credentials, so we decided to approach the CoS, which will send a response to the Finance Ministry. We haven’t got the reply however”, he said.
According to a source at the Finance Ministry, Mr. Kittiratt will not be eligible to serve as the BoT board chairman if the CoS determines the position to remain democratic, and the ministry will need to designate a new one.
But, the source said the delay in appointing the BoT committee chairman would not destroy labor at the BoT because the law says the deputy president, who is the BoT government, can do the president’s jobs in the meantime.
No matter what the outcome will be, Mr. Kittiratt wrote on Twitter on Tuesday, saying he would respect the final determination and thanked those who had faith and confidence in his ability in response to media reports about him being disqualified for the blog.
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira predicted to get an official email from the CoS in the next 1-2 time.