By Thai Newsroom Reporters
FIFTY-ONE LAW LECTURERS attached to universities yesterday (August 16) jointly sent an open letter to the Constitutional Court insisting that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha be stopped by law as of next week from performing his duties until a court ruling on his eight-year tenure has been delivered.
The open note undersigned by the 51 law lecturers at 15 universities throughout the country cites clauses of the constitution as stipulating that the premier be immediately stopped from doing his duties in case that the Constitutional Court may have a reasonable doubt over whether his eight-year tenure will practically end on the upcoming August 24 as stated by academics, opposition MPs and others.
That date in August of 2014 marked the event in which Prayut became prime minister with a military-installed government following a coup which he orchestrated as army chief three months earlier that year.
Prayut’s premiership may have started from 2014 and is limited by law to a maximum of eight years either in consecutive or non-consecutive fashion under the constitution promulgated in 2017 with retroactive effect, according to the law lecturers.
The sought-after halt to Prayut performing the prime minister’s duties until the court ruling has been delivered is expected by the law lecturers to begin on August 25.
If the court gave an order for Prayut to stop performing until its ruling on his contentious legal issue has been delivered, a deputy prime minister would become a caretaker prime minister.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan who concurrently heads the largest coalition Palang Pracharath Party is the most senior among six deputy premiers.
The law lecturers who have undersigned the open note to the court include those at Chulalongkorn University, Thammasat University, Chiang Mai University, Ramkhamhaeng University and Naresuan University.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Photo: Matichon
Front Page: The Thai Constitutional Court logo. Photo: Thai Rath
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