Bangkok: ThailandThe Constitutional Court of India ruled on Wednesday that the Prime Minister prayuthu Chan-ocha must suspend his active duties while the court decides whether he has expired his legal term in office. It was not immediately announced who would perform his duties as caretaker prime minister.
Under the law, this would be the deputy prime minister. Pravit Wongsuwan, which ranks first among many deputies. He is a close political ally of Prayuth and is part of the same military faction that staged the 2014 coup that initially brought him to power.
The court unanimously agreed that there is reason to consider a plea by opposition MPs that he has exceeded his term and should step down. By a vote of 5 to 4, the court agreed to suspend Prayuth from his duties effective Wednesday until it reached a decision.
The court’s decision was announced in a statement after the news leaked to Thai media. The statement did not mention whether Prayuth could retain his concurrent post of defense minister.
The court’s announcement states that Prayuth will have to present his defense within 15 days of receiving the copy of the complaint.
The court did not say when it would rule on whether Prayuth violated the Constitution’s clause on the eight-year limit as prime minister. If it is the rule that he did, he will lose his position immediately.
Prayuth led a military coup that toppled an elected government in May 2014. His critics argue that eight years ended Tuesday, the day before the anniversary of Prayuth officially becoming prime minister in the military government established after the coup.
Prayuth’s supporters say his term began later.
He says his time should be counted from the time the current constitution, which includes a provision limiting prime ministers to eight years, came into force on April 6, 2017. Another explanation in favor of his continued term begins on June 9, 2019, when Prayuth took power. Office under the new constitution after the 2019 general election.
There is a possibility that the court may decide against Prayuth, as he has generally ruled in favor of the government in many political matters. But a decision in his favor risks fueling a protest movement against him and reopening the cracks in Thai politics that have sometimes led to violence over the past 15 years.
His replacement by Pravit will likewise not placate the critics.
Pravit, 77, heads the ruling bed propagandist The party, which was created in the 2019 election as a proxy for the interests of the military. He was tainted by a scandal involving a collection of luxury watches that he could not afford on military or government pay. However, the state’s anti-corruption body – which is largely seen as sympathetic to the government – ruled in 2018 that his defense of borrowing the watches was correct, so he violated the law by failing to declare them assets. did not do.
Whether Pravit will actually take the Prime Minister’s job is not clear. Pravit has publicly admitted that he is not in good health and is known as a behind-the-scenes political organizer.
If he is not ousted, Prayuth will have to call a new election by March next year, though he has the option of calling one before that.
Polls show that the Prime Minister’s popularity is low. He has been accused of mishandling the economy and sabotaging Thailand’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, thousands took to the streets in a series of protests demanding the resignation of Prayuth and his cabinet. He alleged that he came to power illegally, while also demanding amendments to the constitution and reform of the monarchy.
The student-run protest movement at one time attracted a crowd of 20,000–30,000 in Bangkok. Several confrontations with the authorities turned violent. The legal action against activists who were arrested in several cases under a law against insulting the monarchy for criticizing the royal institution has further upset Prayuth’s critics.
Small protests appealing to Prayuth to step down again and the Constitutional Court forcing him to do so if he has not been held daily since Sunday.
The leading faction of the protest movement, Ratsdon himself – The People – issued a statement on Sunday confirming his call for Prayuth’s removal.
“For more than eight years, Thai society has fallen into the darkest and most bitter times. A period under the rule of a tyrant who snatched power from the people. A dictator who gained power through a mechanism without democratic legitimacy. does,” the statement said.
It declared that the Constitutional Court “must listen.”
“We, the people, are hopeful that deep down, you and General Prayuth’s colleagues will come to your senses and realize that General Prayuth’s time as Prime Minister of Thailand has come to an end in accordance with the 2017 Constitution of Thailand.”
The eight-year term limit was to target the former prime minister. Thaksin Shinawatra, a populist billionaire who was ousted by a 2006 military coup but whose political machine remains powerful. Thaksin’s sister government was also removed by the military in 2014. yingluck shinawatraWhich was forced from office shortly before the takeover by a controversial court decision.
Court decisions forced three prime ministers associated with Thaksin, including Yingluck, from office.
Thailand’s traditional conservative ruling class, including the military, felt that Thaksin’s popularity posed a threat to the country’s monarchy as well as his own influence. The courts have been staunch defenders of established order and have consistently ruled against Thaksin and other challengers. (AP)
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Under the law, this would be the deputy prime minister. Pravit Wongsuwan, which ranks first among many deputies. He is a close political ally of Prayuth and is part of the same military faction that staged the 2014 coup that initially brought him to power.
The court unanimously agreed that there is reason to consider a plea by opposition MPs that he has exceeded his term and should step down. By a vote of 5 to 4, the court agreed to suspend Prayuth from his duties effective Wednesday until it reached a decision.
The court’s decision was announced in a statement after the news leaked to Thai media. The statement did not mention whether Prayuth could retain his concurrent post of defense minister.
The court’s announcement states that Prayuth will have to present his defense within 15 days of receiving the copy of the complaint.
The court did not say when it would rule on whether Prayuth violated the Constitution’s clause on the eight-year limit as prime minister. If it is the rule that he did, he will lose his position immediately.
Prayuth led a military coup that toppled an elected government in May 2014. His critics argue that eight years ended Tuesday, the day before the anniversary of Prayuth officially becoming prime minister in the military government established after the coup.
Prayuth’s supporters say his term began later.
He says his time should be counted from the time the current constitution, which includes a provision limiting prime ministers to eight years, came into force on April 6, 2017. Another explanation in favor of his continued term begins on June 9, 2019, when Prayuth took power. Office under the new constitution after the 2019 general election.
There is a possibility that the court may decide against Prayuth, as he has generally ruled in favor of the government in many political matters. But a decision in his favor risks fueling a protest movement against him and reopening the cracks in Thai politics that have sometimes led to violence over the past 15 years.
His replacement by Pravit will likewise not placate the critics.
Pravit, 77, heads the ruling bed propagandist The party, which was created in the 2019 election as a proxy for the interests of the military. He was tainted by a scandal involving a collection of luxury watches that he could not afford on military or government pay. However, the state’s anti-corruption body – which is largely seen as sympathetic to the government – ruled in 2018 that his defense of borrowing the watches was correct, so he violated the law by failing to declare them assets. did not do.
Whether Pravit will actually take the Prime Minister’s job is not clear. Pravit has publicly admitted that he is not in good health and is known as a behind-the-scenes political organizer.
If he is not ousted, Prayuth will have to call a new election by March next year, though he has the option of calling one before that.
Polls show that the Prime Minister’s popularity is low. He has been accused of mishandling the economy and sabotaging Thailand’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, thousands took to the streets in a series of protests demanding the resignation of Prayuth and his cabinet. He alleged that he came to power illegally, while also demanding amendments to the constitution and reform of the monarchy.
The student-run protest movement at one time attracted a crowd of 20,000–30,000 in Bangkok. Several confrontations with the authorities turned violent. The legal action against activists who were arrested in several cases under a law against insulting the monarchy for criticizing the royal institution has further upset Prayuth’s critics.
Small protests appealing to Prayuth to step down again and the Constitutional Court forcing him to do so if he has not been held daily since Sunday.
The leading faction of the protest movement, Ratsdon himself – The People – issued a statement on Sunday confirming his call for Prayuth’s removal.
“For more than eight years, Thai society has fallen into the darkest and most bitter times. A period under the rule of a tyrant who snatched power from the people. A dictator who gained power through a mechanism without democratic legitimacy. does,” the statement said.
It declared that the Constitutional Court “must listen.”
“We, the people, are hopeful that deep down, you and General Prayuth’s colleagues will come to your senses and realize that General Prayuth’s time as Prime Minister of Thailand has come to an end in accordance with the 2017 Constitution of Thailand.”
The eight-year term limit was to target the former prime minister. Thaksin Shinawatra, a populist billionaire who was ousted by a 2006 military coup but whose political machine remains powerful. Thaksin’s sister government was also removed by the military in 2014. yingluck shinawatraWhich was forced from office shortly before the takeover by a controversial court decision.
Court decisions forced three prime ministers associated with Thaksin, including Yingluck, from office.
Thailand’s traditional conservative ruling class, including the military, felt that Thaksin’s popularity posed a threat to the country’s monarchy as well as his own influence. The courts have been staunch defenders of established order and have consistently ruled against Thaksin and other challengers. (AP)
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