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| Thailand cabinet to be sworn in | Thailand cabinet to be sworn in |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Thailand's new cabinet is due to be sworn in by King Bhumibol Adulyadej. | Thailand's new cabinet is due to be sworn in by King Bhumibol Adulyadej. |
| Last week, the Democrat Party mustered enough votes in parliament to have its candidate Abhisit Vejjajiva elected as Thailand's fourth PM in a year. | Last week, the Democrat Party mustered enough votes in parliament to have its candidate Abhisit Vejjajiva elected as Thailand's fourth PM in a year. |
| He has pledged to ease political tension and revive the economy, but has been forced to make some controversial choices in his cabinet line-up. | He has pledged to ease political tension and revive the economy, but has been forced to make some controversial choices in his cabinet line-up. |
| "I haven't sold my soul; there will be no deals," he said in his first interview as PM with the BBC last week. | "I haven't sold my soul; there will be no deals," he said in his first interview as PM with the BBC last week. |
| But some in his new cabinet have already provoked strong protest from the business community, and even from inside his own party. | But some in his new cabinet have already provoked strong protest from the business community, and even from inside his own party. |
| Notoriously mercenary | Notoriously mercenary |
| Two powerful ministries - interior and transport - have gone to the faction whose defection from the previous government swung the balance of votes in Mr Abhisit's favour. ABHISIT VEJJAJIVA: NEW THAI PM Born in Britain, educated at Eton and OxfordEntered parliament in 1992 as one of its youngest membersDemocrat Party leader since 2005Opposed military coup that overthrew Thaksin Shinawatra Profile: Abhisit Vejjajiva | Two powerful ministries - interior and transport - have gone to the faction whose defection from the previous government swung the balance of votes in Mr Abhisit's favour. ABHISIT VEJJAJIVA: NEW THAI PM Born in Britain, educated at Eton and OxfordEntered parliament in 1992 as one of its youngest membersDemocrat Party leader since 2005Opposed military coup that overthrew Thaksin Shinawatra Profile: Abhisit Vejjajiva |
| That faction is led by a notoriously mercenary local politician. | That faction is led by a notoriously mercenary local politician. |
| It is also difficult to deny deals were done with the smaller parties who joined the coalition; for example the important commerce portfolio was given to the politically-inexperienced owner of a large massage parlour. | It is also difficult to deny deals were done with the smaller parties who joined the coalition; for example the important commerce portfolio was given to the politically-inexperienced owner of a large massage parlour. |
| But the biggest controversy surrounds Mr Abhisit's choice of foreign minister, Kasit Piromya. | But the biggest controversy surrounds Mr Abhisit's choice of foreign minister, Kasit Piromya. |
| Mr Kasit is an unapologetic supporter of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protest movement, and still defends its occupation of Bangkok's international airport last month. | Mr Kasit is an unapologetic supporter of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protest movement, and still defends its occupation of Bangkok's international airport last month. |
| He is a very experienced diplomat, but on Monday he was accused by one Thai newspaper of displaying abysmal judgment in recent months. |