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Mr Noppadon (above) said others in the Cabinet will include Suraphong Suebwonglee, Chalerm Yoobambrung, Somchai Wongsawadi, Somphong Amornwiwat and Mingkwan Saengsuwan, all close to Thaksin. -- PHOTO: AP
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BANGKOK - NEWLY elected Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said on Friday he had completed the formation of his 36-minister cabinet and sources in his party said it would be announced this weekend.
Mr Samak, who described himself in the campaign for the December election that returned the country to elected government as a proxy for ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, declined to name his ministers.
'There have been swaps of positions, but it's all done now,' the 72-year-old Mr Samak told reporters, referring to negotiations between his People Power Party and five coalition partners.
Three Thai newspapers reported on Friday the pugnacious Samak would double as defence minister, despite calls by the generals who ousted Thaksin in a bloodless 2006 coup for a 'politically neutral' general to hold the portfolio.
Trusted supporters of Thaksin, who has lived in exile in London and Hong Kong since his ouster, were expected to hold the most powerful economic and political ministries.
Mr Surapong Suebwonglee, a doctor whose family owns a network of weight-loss clinics, was tipped to become finance minister and Thaksin's lawyer-cum-spokesman, British-educated Noppadon Pattama, was expected to be foreign minister.
Thaksin's brother-in-law, Mr Somchai Wongsawat, was expected to be the most senior of six deputy prime ministers Mr Samak said he would appoint.
Mr Mingkwan Sangsuwan, a senior marketing executive at Toyota's Thai operations, was expected to be commerce minister and deputy prime minister in charge of overall economic policy.
Mr Samak's coalition commands 316 of 480 seats in the House of Representatives, leaving the Democrats alone on the opposition benches.
Mr Samak has said a top priority is to bring Thaksin back from exile, although several parties made non-interference in corruption cases against the former leader a condition of joining the coalition.
Thaksin has given various target dates for his return, the latest being May. His wife has already returned and appeared in court on one corruption charge which includes Thaksin.
The United States, which suspended $35 million (S$49.5 million) of military aid to Thailand after the coup, said on Friday it would start work on restoring the package.
US Ambassador Eric John told reporters he went to congratulate Mr Samak and told him the US Congress would be advised to resume the aid once the new government was sworn in. -- REUTERS
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