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Published on February 1, 2008

This should be the right phrase to acclaim those men and women whose names appear as Cabinet-member candidates. After a long period of forming the government and selecting the right people for the right job, Thai citizens now know who is going to run the country.

Recently, I watched the Robin Williams' flick "Man of the Year" on cable TV. Williams is a television talk-show host who wins the US presidential election. When asked by the press about the make-up of his new Cabinet, he replies with a pun on the word: "I prefer one with hard wood."

Hmm, now we know that the selection of the Cabinet is not as easy as picking the right cabinet for our home.

Or we would have had a new government weeks before this.

But back to our ministers. No matter how much the outside world criticises them, it's worth paying close attention to those who will be in charge of our future.

Vacating their offices on Wednesday, the Surayud government fell under the same heavy criticism it did when it first took office. The first complaint was about the age of the ministers.

Education Minister Wijit Srisa-arn is the oldest member, at 72. Surayud himself is a retired military man over 60. Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla is 65. The youngest is PM's Office Minister Thirapat Serirangsan, a mere stripling at 51.

The Surayud government earned so many nicknames, but the first and the most remembered was the "Old Ginger" government. If the highest and lowest figures are combined and divided by two, the Surayud Cabinet members are 61.5 years old.

But then, what can spare the Samak government from being called Old Ginger?

Newly appointed Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej is himself the oldest, turning 73 this June.

Luckily, Chai Chidchob, Newin's father, did not appear on the ministers' list as expected, or he would have raised the average age. Chai is well over 80.

Luckily, too, the Cabinet will include Jakrapob Penkair, a former brilliant officer at the Foreign Affairs Ministry who successfully transformed himself into a politician.

Jakrapob, tipped to become PM's office minister, turns 40 this year.

Combine the highest and lowest and divide by two, and we come to only 56.5. Okay, they are not as old as Surayud by age. But then, months from now, we'll know whether they taste like the Surayud government.

achara_d@nationgroup.com

The Nation