Thai PM promotes his cousin

Thai PM promotes his cousin

THAILAND: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has promoted his cousin, Gen. Chaisith Shinawatra, to the powerful position of army commander in chief in Thailand's annual military reshuffle, officials said on Thursday.

The appointment list of 558 military officers was announced by state radio on Thursday and goes into effect after the officers take their oaths before King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Since taking office in February 2001, Thaksin has appointed a small but significant number of family members and former classmates from Thailand's police academy to important military and government posts. Thaksin was a police officer before becoming a telecommunications entrepreneur and then a politician.

Critics have charged the appointments use loyalty to the prime minister as a yardstick and are meant to consolidate his power, but Thaksin has defended them as being based on merit.

Thai defense minister Thammarak Issarangkul on Thursday defended the appointment of Thaksin's cousin as the new army chief.

Thammarak said that Chaisith's family background was irrelevant and that he was a good candidate for the job. -- Agencies