Thai PM keeps silent on appointment of “Nalinee”

BANGKOK, January 21 (TNA) – Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra declined to make any comment on Saturday on her decision appointing “Nalinee Taveesin” as Minister attached to the PM’s Office after the latter was reportedly blacklisted and named by the United States as a business crony of Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe. Miss Yingluck only responded to journalists tersely that she would check with her ruling Pheu Thai Party whether it was pressuring Ms Nalinee to leave her appointed ministerial post before giving an oath of allegiance to His Majesty the King next Monday. Meanwhile, Pheu Thai Party deputy spokesman Jirayu Huangsap confirmed that reports saying the party was pressuring Ms Nalinee to quit the post were untrue. He said her ministerial post was mostly responsible for domestic affairs while the party was awaiting her explanation. “Even if the blacklisting issue by Washington was true, it would not tarnish the image of the cabinet,” Mr. Jirayu said. In 2008, the US Treasury Department used the term crony to describe Ms Nalinee and three other persons’ relationship with President Mugabe. Her assets in the US were frozen and Washington banned her from doing business or conducting any financial or commercial transactions with US citizens. Meanwhile, the main opposition Democrat Party has continued to call on Miss Yingluck to review the appointment of Ms Nalinee on concerns that it might affect foreign investments in Thailand in future. Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said a similar issue had affected foreign investment in the country before as foreign private investors did not have confidence in the country and the government. Mr. Chavanond said the prime minister probably could not make the decision because she was not responsible in appointing Ms Nalinee herself. (TNA)