Opposition set to grill Abhisit, Kasit

The Opposition camp will assign 30 of its MPs to grill key government members, including Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, on ethical issues during parliament's debate on the government policy statement next week.

Mr Abhisit will be questioned about his alleged draft dodging while Mr Kasit will be queried over his close ties with the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which has fiercely campaigned against ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, said Witthaya Buranasiri, a key member of the Puea Thai party.

The draft dodging allegation against Mr Abhisit has been around for sometime. It was recently revived during the course of the formation of the Democrat-led coalition government.

Puea Thai was reportedly considering nominating Chalerm Yubamrung, a sharp-tongued political veteran and its list MP, to lead the Opposition.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul, a member of the Friends of Newin faction, said he decided to appoint Saksayam Chidchob to lead a working group that would help him deal with the ministry's work because "he is mature and full of experience."

Mr Saksayam is a younger brother of Newin Chidchob, the faction's mentor, who is currently under a five-year political ban after he was found guilty of complicity in electoral fraud along with 110 other executives of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai party.