Party seeks ruling on PM

Opposition bloc to file House request

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha poses for pictures with a marching band at Government House on Aug 9. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha poses just for pictures with a walking in line band at Govt House on August 9. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)

Mongkolkit Suksintharanon, head of the Thai Civil Party, on Monday filed a request with the Constitutional Courtroom seeking a ruling to settle Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s tenure wrangle.

The micro-opposition celebration lodged the request ahead of a similar request to the court simply by all the other opposition parties tomorrow.

In his petition offered to the Constitutional Courtroom office on Monday, Mr Mongkolkit requested an injunction in order to suspend Gen Prayut as prime minister starting Aug 24 when some believe he will have served the maximum two four-year back-to-back terms, as stipulated by the metabolic rate.

The injunction would avoid legal complications and damage arising from Style Prayut working as prime minister over and above his term, he said.

Mr Mongkolkit said he submitted the particular petition as a Thai citizen and if Style Prayut insists on remaining as prime minister after Aug 24, he will become looked upon as infringing on the people’s directly to have a new prime minister.

He said the situation is admissible by Constitutional Court. He or she urged Gen Prayut to bow out with dignity in order to defuse a political conflict stemming from his controversial time in office.

Cholnan Srikaew, head of the main resistance Pheu Thai Party, on Monday  confirmed the opposition bloc will submit the petition to the Constitutional Court over Style Prayut’s tenure via Parliament President Chuan Leekpai tomorrow.

The request will also call for a courtroom order suspending Gen Prayut pending a ruling.

Meanwhile, Deputy Primary Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said the minutes of a meeting from the now-dissolved Constitution Creating Committee (CDC) regarding a prime minister’s tenure may bring some weight if they had been admitted for account by the court.

The record of the CDC’s 500th meeting is not likely to be a core record in the court’s study of Gen Prayut’s tenure case.

During that meeting, rental drafters expressed their opinions about the tenure issue before the metabolism was promulgated. It was not a resolution by the CDC.

The opposition pointed out earlier that it might include the minutes from the Sept 7, 2018 meeting to support the particular view that Gen Prayut’s maximum eight-year tenure ends late this month given that he began serving as premier in August 2014, a few months following the National Council meant for Peace and Purchase he led ousted the Pheu Thai-led administration.

However , others contended that Gen Prayut’s term ends in 2027 because he was appointed prime minister under the 2017 charter in June 2019.

But according to another view, the particular count started in April 2017 when the current charter was promulgated, meaning Gen Prayut’s tenure ends in 2025.

Federal government spokesman, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, said the opposition has no business requesting the court in order to suspend Gen Prayut over the issue.