Thailand's military rulers said yesterday they had selected a new prime minister to be unveiled at the weekend and kept in office until they restore democracy late next year.
The junta's announcement followed a wave of arson attacks on schools that may have been a sign of opposition to their leadership and support for Thaksin Shinawatra, the premier they ousted in a bloodless coup last week.
Thai media were rife with speculation that the new prime minister to be announced on Sunday is General Surayud Chulanont, the respected former chief of the military who had been pushed into retirement by Thaksin.
The head of the Thai navy, Admiral Satirapan Keyanon, refused to reveal the name, but said that the junta -- which seized power on Sept. 19 -- had already reached its decision.
"The military rulers have agreed by consensus and made our choice for prime minister. We are confident that he will be acceptable to the public," said Satirapan, who sits on the new ruling junta.
The admiral said the new premier would not be wearing "this uniform" but then pointed to a senior officer from the army -- the wing of the military that Surayud comes from.
The other leading candidate for the job is former WTO chief Supachai Panitchpakdi, who has declined to comment on reports that the military would offer him the premiership.
The general said on Wednesday that he would consider the job if the junta offered it to him, in part because he was worried about possible clashes between supporters and opponents of Thaksin, now in exile in London.
The man who orchestrated the coup, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, has pledged that a premier would remain in power only one year, until elections are organized in October next year.
But he has also indicated that the generals would keep a tight check on the new government, maintaining the junta as a Council of National Security after a prime minister is named.
An early draft of a temporary constitution to be unveiled this weekend gives them the power to intervene in government and remove the prime minister, one of its drafters said yesterday.
Legal experts criticized the draft text, which was obtained by local media, saying it showed that Thailand's coup leaders have no intention of completely relinquishing power.
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