By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE PHEU THAI Party cast doubts over the righteousness of the Constitutional Court’s ruling delivered today (Sept. 30) in support of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s prolonged rule.
The largest opposition party issued a statement to cast doubts over the righteousness of the Constitutional Court’s ruling with respect to relevant sections of the current constitution and Prayut’s eight years in power maximumly provided under the charter.
The Constitutional Court has ruled that Prayut has not as yet completed his eight-year tenure and that his “premiership” began in 2017, the year in which the constitution was promulgated, and not in 2014, the year in which he rose to power by way of a coup which he himself had orchestrated as army chief earlier that year.
The Pheu Thai Party contended that the Constitutional Court has ultimately failed to observe the letter and design of the charter pertaining to the premier’s eight-year rule.
The conclusion reached by a majority of the judges of the Constitutional Court that Prayut’s eight-year rule may have been accounted for in relation to the promulgation of the constitution obviously did without any explicable rationale, the Pheu Thai statement says.
Such a contentious ruling of the Constitutional Court has apparently set a precedent which will likely pave the way for double standards in one’s handling of significant legal affairs in the future, the statement says.
The unanswered question over the righteousness of the Constitutional Court’s ruling will be raising more prevalent concerns among all sectors of society than the event in which he has been allowed by court to return to power again, the statement says.
The Move Forward Party issued a statement to comment that the Constitutional Court’s contentious ruling in support of Prayut’s prolonged power has considerably put the people throughout the country in despair and frustration again.
The Move Forward Party advised the people go to the polls to deny votes for MPs and parties who may continue to support Prayut as head of a post-election government as had been the case in the 2019 election.
The second largest opposition party insisted that the Election Commission conduct a nationwide public referendum alongside the next general election to see whether most constituents will prefer a comprehensive amendment to the entire constitution to the extent that “independent” agencies such as the Constitutional Court practically bear justice and do without double standards.
Meanwhile, Pheu Thai party leader Chonlanan Srikaew predicted that Prayut would dissolve the House of Representatives between late November and mid-December so that a general election for MPs could be held in February.
Prayut would likely dissolve the House after he has hosted APEC meetings scheduled on Nov. 19 and Nov. 20, Chonlanan said.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha heading home from the Defence Ministry prior to the Constitutional Court’s ruling this afternoon. Photo: Thai Rath
Front Page: Pheu Thai Party leader Chonlanan Srikaew. Photo: Matichon
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