Yuthasak Signals Pheu Thai Ready to Work With Rak Dharma Party
Pheu Thai is ready to collaborate with the Rak Dharma Party if it joins the government coalition, Deputy PM Yuthasak said, though cabinet reshuffling would be decided by the Prime Minister.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Yuthasak Sasathorn said on September 22 at government house that the Rak Dharma Party's exit from the opposition signals its intention to join the government. Pheu Thai, as a coalition party, will fulfill its commitments as agreed when it initially joined, focusing on its five assigned ministries covering human capital development and agriculture. Yuthasak emphasized that Pheu Thai will concentrate fully on delivering results in these five portfolios and has no other agreements at present.
When asked whether Pheu Thai would accept a smaller cabinet share if Rak Dharma actually joins the government, Yuthasak replied that cabinet formation is the direct authority of the Prime Minister. He stated that Pheu Thai can only fulfill the commitments it made regarding human capital and farmers, and must execute those duties to the best of its ability.
When asked about the Prime Minister's rejection of Pheu Thai's THACCA creative economy promotion bill, Yuthasak said every ministry is already working on creative economy and cultural capital initiatives. He noted that this matter is important to the country and declined to characterize it as a cleared issue, emphasizing instead that these portfolios operate under broader national priorities.
