Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s tenure will end in 2025 if he is re-elected in the upcoming election, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam told the press yesterday.
Mr Wissanu said the Constitutional Court ruling on Sept 30 on Gen Prayut’s term limit leaves no room for misinterpretation as to how long he can serve as premier.
Although the ruling did not say when exactly Gen Prayut’s term would end, it said Gen Prayut’s term began in April 2017, when the current charter was promulgated.
As such, if Gen Prayut is re-elected as premier next year, he won’t be able to stay on beyond 2025, as he is bound by Section 158 of the constitution, he said.
Section 158 of the constitution says an individual can only serve as prime minister for a maximum of eight years, regardless of whether the four-year terms were served consecutively or not.
“There’s no need to ask for another ruling [on a PM’s tenure], but there could be anyway as Section 158 doesn’t say anything about the period in which a premier serves as caretaker prime minister.
“Some people may insist he must leave immediately after eight years,” he said.
When asked about Section 159, which involves the selection of the prime minister, Mr Wissanu said some legal experts might use this section to argue about Gen Prayut’s term, but he considered it too “trivial”.
Meanwhile, Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew said yesterday he believed the prime minister would rather dissolve the House than wait for its sessions to conclude in March next year. He said Pheu Thai is prepared for an early election and it will announce the party’s three prime ministerial candidates when there are clear signs of a House dissolution.
Speculation is rife the House dissolution would take place in late December. By that time, MPs would have enough time as required by law to switch parties for the polls.