Democrat Party leader Abhisit, 44, chose former investment banker Korn Chatikavanij to be Finance Minister but was forced to bow to demands of his coalition partners by filling some economic portfolios with little-known figures from smaller parties.

Mr Korn worked at global investment bank JPMorgan Chase before leaving to run for political office in 2004.

While Mr Korn's appointment was widely welcomed by the business community, they were disappointed over the appointment of Ms Pornthiva Nakasai from the Phum Jai Thai party as Commerce Minister because they see her as lacking expertise for the job.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya is a another controversial figure in the new line-up. A former ambassador to the United States, Mr Kasit gave prominent support to the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) street campaign that occupied Government House for three months and Bangkok's main airports for over a week.

His appointment has raised questions about Mr Abhisit's commitment to reaching out to supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Mr Kasit told reporters last Friday that he would not be influenced by his connection to the PAD and planned to pursue a foreign policy untainted by the personal business interests that Thaksin was accused of allowing to creep into his government.

Mr Abhisit's 36-member Cabinet endorsed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej yesterday included Democrat Party secretary-general Suthep Thuagsuban as Deputy Premier overseeing security matters.

Mr Suthep was accused in 1995 of distributing plots of land, allotted for agricultural use by the poor, to his cronies. The scandal brought down the administration of then-prime minister Chuan Leekpai, a Democrat.

Mr Chavarat Charnvirakul, 72, a former Thaksin supporter who crossed over to the Democrats, was rewarded with the Interior Minister's portfolio.

Mr Chavarat is a former businessman who founded one of Thailand's biggest construction companies, Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction, which was commissioned to build several government projects, including Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

General Prawit Wongsuwan, former army chief, was made Defence Minister.

The Democrat Party considered him to be the most suitable because he had a clean record in his career and was a politically neutral figure since he was not part of the Council for National Security, which staged the coup in September 2006.

Despite a mixed bag of appointees in his administration, Mr Abhisit defended his decision, saying the Cabinet reflected efforts to balance the coalition.

'Any minister from any party or group must work under government policy. As government leader, I'll see to it that everybody works for the country,' he said.

He warned that those who do not deliver will be removed.

Mr Abhisit also denied that business groups were exerting influence over the selection of his Cabinet after he made Mr Virachai Virameteekul, the former son-in-law of CP Group chairman Dhanin Chearavanont, a minister in the Prime Minister's Office.

The CP Group is the largest business conglomerate in Thailand.

Most analysts do not expect the Cabinet to hold together for the whole of next year as economic growth stutters to zero or worse.

Police are also bracing themselves for thousands of supporters of Thaksin trying to prevent the Prime Minister's maiden parliamentary address on Dec 29, as anti-Thaksin supporters successfully did in October.

Reuters, AFP, The Nation/ANN

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