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Published on February 3, 2008

"The Samak Cabinet is not just ugly but inferior to our shadow ministers," Democrat member of Parliament Thepthai Senpong said.

Thepthai said it had been a mistake to allocate Cabinet seats as rewards to nominees of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

A shortlist of shadow ministers is complete, and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva will unveil them following the announcement of the Cabinet, he said.

Incoming prime minister Samak said the vetting of ministerial credentials was complete and the list of Cabinet members had been forwarded to the Royal Palace for approval, expected today.

Abhisit said the shadow cabinet would comprise opposition members and capable Democrat technocrats.

"I hope the formation of a shadow cabinet will become a political tradition, like that practised in Great Britain and France," he said.

He said the first meeting of the shadow cabinet would vet government platforms for the policy debate.

He said he wanted to set a tone of conciliation and cooperation in government-opposition relations.

He voiced support for the timetable of six months set by the government to revitalise the economy.

"Any policies, including populist ones, designed to assist the people, will receive my party's support, but the crucial factor is whether planned spending will yield sustainable results or become wasteful," he said.

The Nation