THE Thai junta will soon name a retired army general and senior courtier to King Bhumibol Adulyadej as Prime Minister of its caretaker administration, according to reports in Bangkok.

As early as this weekend King Bhumibol is expected to confirm the appointment of Surayud Chulanont, a 63-year old member of the Privy Council.

The move will confirm the growing impression that in spite of its public commitment to restore democratic civilian rule as soon as possible, the junta intends to control government for the time being.

A spokesman confirmed yesterday that the Council for Democratic Reform, as the coup leaders called themselves, would retain the right to dismiss the appointee, although other than in matters of security it would not interfere in the day-to-day decisions of government.

“The power is there in reserve,” Krit GarnjanaGoonchorn, of the Foreign Ministry, said. “I don’t think they foresee a situation to resort to it.”

The appointment of General Surayud will do little to quell the objections of foreign governments, which have denounced the overthrow 11 days ago of Thaksin Shinawatra, the democratically elected Prime Minister, while he was in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly.

On Thursday America suspended $24 million (£13 million) of military aid in protest at the coup.

“The United States continues to urge a rapid return to democratic rule and early elections in Thailand,” Sean McCormack, the State Department spokesman, said. “We look forward to being able to reinstate these programmes after a democratically elected government takes office.”

General Winai Phattiyakul, a member of the ruling council, insisted that the coup was justified by the potential for violence between supporters of Mr Thaksin and his many vehement opponents.

“If you are riding a train, you see that it may derail or it may collide with the other train and will cause damage, or will cause loss of life of innocents, I think it makes sense that you either stop or make a turn,” he said. “Either make a sharp turn or make a U-turn in order to avoid the tragedy to happen.”

The junta reshuffled senior military officers yesterday, promoting seven of its own, including General Winai, and marginalising those regarded as close to Mr Thaksin, who remains in exile in London.

General Surayud retired to become a Buddhist monk in 2003 after a 38-year career in which he saw action against communist insurgents and along Thailand’s unstable border with Cambodia. After three months in a monastery he joined the Privy Council, the inner circle of royal advisers.

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