The Pheu Thai-led government is expected to assume office at the end of September, according to Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam today (Wednesday).
He explained that, even though there is a Royal command appointing Srettha Thavisin as the prime minister, he is still unable to start performing his duty because his cabinet is yet to be set up and take the oath of allegiance.
He gave a timeline of about three weeks for a new government to assume office. It will require one week for the completion of the cabinet line-up, another week for the secretariat of the cabinet to check the qualifications of all the cabinet candidates and another week for all the new ministers, led by the prime minister, to take an oath before HM the King or his portrait.
From his long experience as deputy prime minister, serving in several governments, Wissanu said that late September is the quickest possible. This means that the caretaker cabinet will continue to meet every week to consider and decide upon issues or projects which are not related to the new budget.
Even if there is a cabinet, the deputy prime minister said that it cannot start functioning until the prime minister has delivered his policy statement to parliament.
