By Thai Newsroom Reporters
A GROUP OF POLITICAL activists might probably steer a massive move to literally keep out Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha from Government House since, they said, his eight-year rule is ending on upcoming Tuesday.
The so-called Khana Lom Ruam Prachachon (Group For the Melting of the People Together) activists told hundreds of people gathering in the drizzle since late afternoon today (August 21) on Larn Khon Muang open ground at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s headquarters that they would probably proceed to Government House on Tuesday or Wednesday to lay siege and literally keep out Prayut who would otherwise get there to work.
The political activist group repeatedly insisted that Prayut would become an ”outlawed” prime minister immediately after Tuesday midnight.
Leading activist Nititorn Lamlua dared police and other security units to take any steps to disperse anti-Prayut protesters or even to use tear gas, rubber bullets or other force to deter their moves toward Government House.
Given the allegation that Prayut’s eight-year rule since August 24, 2014, the date on which he was named an unelected premier, is ending on the upcoming Tuesday as maximumly provided by law, he will no longer have the right to step into Government House and continue to perform as head of government, Nititorn said.
Prayut would probably stay above the law if the people literally failed to join in the group’s movement and keep him from overstaying in power, said former Red Shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan.
Intermittent rainfall has apparently discouraged many people from joining in the anti-Prayut movement at the BMA open ground near Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue which is barely a few kilometres from Government House.
Jatuporn dared Prayut to not dissolve the House of Representatives or step down so that the activist said the embattled premier would somehow be ousted by the people themselves and “the people’s uprising and a major political change” would probably occur.
The activists repeatedly urged those who may have hesitated to join the anti-Prayut movement to help mount pressure on the premier and likely proceed to Government House in the next few days.
In May of 2014, the then-army chief Prayut orchestrated a bloodless coup to depose an elected government under former premier Yingluck Shinawatra and managed to turn himself into head of a military-installed government in August that year.
Many academics, opposition lawmakers and others have cited clauses of the current constitution as stipulating that one is given a maximum of eight years in power as head of government either in consecutive or non-consecutive fashion and his or her tenure is legally retroactively countable.
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The rally continued amid dark cloud and rain. Top, first three photos below and the one on the Front Page: Matichon, bottom photo : Sanook.com
Also read: 38 activist groups call on Prayut to step down
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Lawyers’ group urges Prayut to quit before ruling on 8-year tenure
Academic tells Prayut to dissolve House to evade ruling on 8-year tenure
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