Special report: Coup d'etat in
Thailand
Related: Thai King signs royal decree to appoint coup
commander
BANGKOK, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Administrative Reform
Council(ARC), the martial authority which declared a takeover of regime in
Thailand after Tuesday's coup, announced the King of Thailand's endorsement of
coup commander Sonthi Boonyaratkalin as ARC chief Wednesday, and this is seen by
Thai media as confirmation that the council had the situation under control.
No official confirmation from the Royal Household Bureau,
which is in charge of issuing decrees of the King Bhumibol Adulyadej, is
available yet Thursday.
The council made the announcement Wednesday hours
after Sonthi appeared on a televised press conference with the rest of the five
council members to assure that an interim civilian government will be in shape
in two weeks and sovereignty returned to the people as soon as possible.
Sonthi also promised to draft a new constitution to
facilitate a general election by October 2007.
He said the council was now approaching experts in
charter drafting, asking them to help put in place a temporary administrative
charter.
Once the new interim government is appointed, the
interim prime minister will take charge of political reform, which is expected
to be completed in one year, so that the general election could be called in
October next year.
Sonthi said the ARC are now searching for a qualified
person to be the new prime minister. "We want a neutral one who embraces
democracy with the constitutional monarchy," said the army chief.
In Wednesday's press conference, Sonthi admitted
caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Wannasathit of Thaksin's government was
in the ARC's custody by saying "We didn't arrest him. We just invited him to be
with us, and he's well taken care of in Bangkok." Enditem
