Military Commander Named Thai Premier

A coalition of Thai political parties Sunday named the country’s supreme military commander as the next prime minister after a week of embarrassing revelations that their first candidate had been denied a U.S. visa because of allegations of involvement with the illegal drug trade.

The selection of Gen. Suchinda Kraprayoon may prove equally controversial, since he is a leader of the military junta that overthrew the last elected government in February, 1991. Suchinda was not a candidate for Parliament in elections held last month and will become an unelected prime minister.

“This is the decision of the five parties,” said Montri Pongpanich, head of the Social Action Party, a member of the victorious, pro-military coalition. “Gen. Suchinda represents the best alternative in the interest of national security.”

On Sunday night, a group of 100 students gathered near Bangkok’s royal palace to demand that the prime minister’s post be given to an elected official. Politicians warned that there was likely to be a public outcry following the choice.

“We wanted to have an elected prime minister, but there were some problems and we can’t take a risk with the country,” said Sanoh Tienthong, deputy head of the Chart Thai Party, another coalition partner.

Suchinda, 58, was chosen after the head of the military junta, Gen. Sunthorn Kongsompong, publicly expressed doubts Saturday that he would be able to submit the name of the political parties’ first choice, Narong Wongwan, to Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Narong, a wealthy politician and businessman, heads the Samakhi Tham Party, which won the most seats in the election. Known as the “Godfather of the North,” Narong came under scrutiny over charges that he had contacts with the flourishing heroin trade from the Golden Triangle region which sprawls across Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.

Neither Narong nor his party commented on the withdrawal of his name on Sunday. Suchinda also remained silent about the nomination, which was expected to be made on Wednesday.

After Narong’s selection March 22, the U.S. State Department disclosed in Washington that Narong had been denied a visa to visit the United States in 1991 because his name appeared on a watch-list of those believed connected to the narcotics trade.

A Narong associate is currently serving a life sentence in Australia on drug charges, and the brother of a close aide has been sentenced to death in Thailand after being arrested with more than 30 pounds of heroin.

Narong has vehemently denied ny connection with the heroin trade and challenged Washington to make public its accusations against him. Western diplomats said the United States is not likely to respond because it might compromise a future court case.

While many Thai officials publicly defended Narong, the scandal embarrassed many Thais. because of the negative publicity Narong’s nomination attracted to Thailand.

The selection of Suchinda appears likely to rekindle the debate here about the role of the military in the country. Thailand has experienced world-high growth rates for the past decade, in part because of its perceived image of political stability.

Suchinda helped engineer the coup against Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhaven last year, and it is reported that he did so partly because Chatichai, an elected member of Parliament, had taken steps to establish civilian control over the military.

After Chatichai’s ouster in the bloodless coup, the United States suspended financial assistance and called for a return to democratically elected civilian rule.