Thailand's Military Council Selects Interim Prime Minister Associated Press
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thailand's military rulers have chosen Surayud Chulanont, a former army commander and close adviser to the country's powerful monarch, as interim prime minister following their coup, the auditor general said.
"Yes, definitely, Gen. Surayud is the prime minister. He is the suitable person," Auditor General Jaruvan Maintaka told a small group of reporters late Thursday. Her comments were carried on an official government Web site on Friday.
His appointment was expected to be announced this weekend or Monday, after it receives approval from King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Gen. Surayud, a highly regarded 62-year-old retired officer, was selected by the country's ruling military council which seized power from Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a bloodless coup Sept. 19 while the premier was abroad. The council vowed to name a civilian prime minister within two weeks.
Akara Thiroj, a spokesman for the council, said an interim constitution has already been completed and sent to the Royal Palace. He hoped the constitution could be announced Saturday or Sunday and followed by the formal announcement of the prime minister on the weekend or Monday.
"The media seems to know more than I do. Every newspaper put his name on the front page," Mr. Akara said when asked who the new prime minister would be. All Friday morning Bangkok newspapers carried headlines that Gen. Surayud would probably head the new government.
苏拉育料将出任泰国过渡政府总理
泰国审计总长表示，泰国军方领导人将任命苏拉育(Surayud Chulanont)担任过渡政府总理。苏拉育是前陆军总司令，也是国王的亲信顾问。
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泰国审计总长乍鲁万(Jaruvan Maintaka)周四晚些时候对部分记者表示，“是的，毫无疑问，苏拉育将出任总理。他是合适的人选。”她的此番言论周五发表在政府的一个官方网站上。
对苏拉育的任命预计将在得到国王普密蓬?阿杜德(Bhumibol Adulyadej)的认可后，在本周末或下周一时公布。
由泰国军政府选举出来的新总理苏拉育现年62岁，是有较高威望的退休军官。军政府在总理他信(Thaksin Shinawatra)出访海外期间通过一场没有流血的政变取得了政权。军政府曾允诺将在两周内选出一名文官总理。
军政府发言人Akara Thiroj表示，临时宪法已起草完成并送交国王批准。他希望宪法能在周六或周日公布，而对总理的正式任命将在周末或周一宣布。
Akara在被问到谁将出任新总理时表示，“媒体似乎比我知道得更清楚。各大报纸都将他的名字登在了头版位置。”泰国周五所有早报上均在显着位置刊登了苏拉育有望领导新政府的消息。
