PRIVY COUNCIL PRESIDENT PREM DISCUSSES TRANSITION

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 005908 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM MOPS ASEC TH SUBJECT: PRIVY COUNCIL PRESIDENT PREM DISCUSSES TRANSITION REF: A. BANGKOK 5894 (BORWORNSAK BRIEFS AMBASSADOR) ¶B. BANGKOK 5814 (SONTHI BRIEFS ENVOYS) Classified By: Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce, reason 1.4 (d). ¶1. (C) I spoke with Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda September 25, explaining I wanted to check on his well-being, given reports on the night of the coup that Thaksin had tried to arrange Prem's arrest. Sounding relaxed, confident, and very pleased with the course of events, Prem assured me he was well. ¶2. (C) I mentioned to Prem my conversation earlier in the day with constitution drafter Borwornsak Uwanno (ref A),noting Borwornsak had indicated the CDRM might not appoint a civilian Prime Minister until the middle of the first week of October. I stressed to Prem that the international community would be watching the clock, and the CDRM would come under criticism if it missed its self-imposed two-week deadline for transitioning to a civilian administration. Prem urged me to start counting the days from September 20, rather than September 19, as the CDRM needed to buy itself as much time as possible to get affairs in order. (Note: Sonthi first mentioned the two week time frame midday on September 20 -- ref B. End Note.) BOYCE