PRIME Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday the new heads of the Army and the police should be able to handle the current situation in the country.
Outgoing Army chief General Udomdej Sitabutr and outgoing police chief General Somyot Poompanmuang are due to retire next month.
The prime minister said seniority and work quality delivered over past years were also part of qualifications for the two positions of leading the Army and the Royal Thai Police.
The PM noted that overseeing order and security was a basic responsibility that all people working for security agencies had to deal with - be it the police chief, Army chief or Air Force chief.
"If we were able to build a solid system [of security agencies], anyone would be able to assume" top positions in them, Prayut said.
Asked if one or two years in the top position of security agencies was enough to finish all work, the prime minister said: "The current ones also assume positions for only one year. Should there be unfinished tasks, the baton could be passed on to [the new chief]. So far, I have also continued the task started by my predecessor."
It is a matter of personal attachment and trust for those who work under command, Prayut added.
The prime minister also talked about the successor for the current Army chief General Udomdej Sitabutr, saying: "General Udomdej Sitabutr has already stated that the new Army chief should come from 'five-tiger commanders'" - that is, top positions in the Army.