Rtd Gen Surayud heads civilian govt in Thailand as new PM

Bangkok, Oct 1 (UNI) Former army chief Surayud Chulanont was sworn in as civilian head of government for Thailand this afternoon after the country's king endorsed an interim Constitution prepared by the leaders of the September 19 military coup d'etat.

After days of speculation in the media, General Surayud Chulanont, former supreme commander of the armed forces and a member of the Privy Council which advises the King, was sworn in as the country's 24th prime minister.

He will head a 35-member cabinet to be appointed by him.

Earlier in the day, General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, head of the military regime known as the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR), confirmed to reporters that he had personally requested Gen Surayud to take over the top civilian job.

The primary task of the civilian government is to run the government and supervise the drafting of a new basic law for the land to replace the interim charter that took effect today.

According to the royal command issued with the endorsement of the interim constitution by the monarch, the CDR staged the coup to annul the previous charter, which was full of loopholes, so that a new charter could be drafted.

The CDR now stands renamed as the Council for National Security but has claimed the power to dismiss the prime minister and supervise security affairs.

Gen Sonthi said the coup makers would give the new prime minister a free hand in the selection of his cabinet.

The interim constitution has also created a 250-member National Assembly to be filled entirely by military appointees.

The CDR has promised to organise national elections one year from now.

UNI XC PR GC1606