PUBLISHED: 1 Jan 2025 at 06: 47
Defence MinisterPhumtham Wechayachaisaid he is doing his best to manage the ministry’s affairs but admitted he needs to play a stronger role as a number of nagging problems remain unresolved.
In an effort to avert upcoming military coups, he added that he saw no point in pushing for constitutional changes.
Rating his achievement directing the government since his stay began on Sept 3, Mr Phumtham, who is also a deputy prime minister, said on Tuesday there have been certain deficiencies.
He claimed that some of his problems haven’t been resolved in the expected manner.
” But we have to start someplace and deal with the problems based on our understanding”, Mr Phumtham said.
He claimed that he saw the defense in a distinct light than when he was a student.
” Now that I’ve helmed the department, it’s a whole new perspective”, the minister said, adding any dissenting thoughts he had with the government were being fine-tuned.
” I trust that after having met the military officials, the defense continuous director, and the deputy defence secretary, who are career soldiers through and through,” Mr. Phumtham said.
The key to this is to arrange discussions and acknowledge the difficulties they face. ” I regard the armed forces’ rulers”, the secretary said.
Because he joined the Communist Party of Thailand ( CPT ) in the 1970s and faced off against the military, some thought Mr. Phumtham unfit to take over the charge of the defense sector.
Mr. Phumtham claimed that he has risen through the political divisions and reached a stage where he is now empathetic.
Lawmakers and state officials are often at conflict, he noted. He thinks he has started off on the right foot as defense minister because he engages in speech with military leaders as a way to address issues.
” No problem may be fixed overnight”, he said.
In order to ward off military coups, Mr. Phumtham argued that it was pointless to try to alter the Defence Ministry Administration Act.
A bill sponsored by Pheu Thai Party MP Prayuth Siripanich, who wants to change the law to make it illegal to use military force or military personnel in situations where the government’s managerial authority is seized or under control.
According to the report, soldiers who were ordered to carry out such acts had the right to refuse to do so and ran the risk of being viewed as a celebration to a military-related criminal offense.