By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT will not ask the Constitutional Court to pinpoint exactly when Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha may finish a maximum period of eight years in power, said Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam today (May 5).
The deputy premier in charge of legal affairs told reporters at Government House that the coalition government will definitely not petition the Constitutional Court to pass judgment on such a bone of contention affecting Prayut’s tenure for which a maximum of eight years is provided by law.
Wissanu confirmed the government will certainly abide by a court ruling to pinpoint exactly when Prayut may finish his eight-year term. “The government will not ask for a Constitutional Court ruling on that matter since we have had no doubt about it in the first place,” he said without elaborating.
However, the Pheu Thai Party-led opposition bloc is widely speculated to file a petition in search of a court ruling on Prayut’s eight-year tenure in the next few months.
According to Prayut’s critics, the army chief-turned-premier is finishing his eight years in power by the upcoming August, given the fact that he rose to premiership in the corresponding month of 2014 after staging a coup to overthrow an elected government.
But some coalition lawmakers have contended that Prayut’s eight-year tenure could possibly last until 2025 in account of the current constitution which was promulgated in 2017 whilst others have argued that he could possibly remain in power until 2027 in account of the current government which took office in 2019.
Wissanu earlier said Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan or himself will be obliged by law to become a caretaker prime minister if Prayut happens to lose his premiership for whatever reason.
The caretaker government will be legally obliged to have the House of Representatives set up a future coalition government and find a prime minister within three to seven days following an end of the Prayut regime, according to the deputy premier.
Named on partisan lists as candidates for head of government following the 2019 election are Deputy Prime Minister/Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul, former prime minister/former Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and Pheu Thai Party’s Chaikasem Nitisiri, among others.
Nevertheless, Prawit could possibly be named an “unlisted” premier as allowed by the charter, given his current status as leader of Palang Pracharath Party, the largest coalition partner, if the House finally fails to pick one among the listed candidates.
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Top: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, left, and Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam. Photo: Matichon Weekly
Home Page: Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam. Photo: NNT
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