Prayut: Let court rule on tenure dispute

Prayut: 'Will respect' court decision
Prayut: ‘Will respect’ court decision

Perfect Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has urged experts to withhold judgement until the Constitutional Courtroom rules on the question regarding an eight-year limit on his premiership.

Federal government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana on Wednesday stated: “What is right is to let this issue be examined [by the court] according to the 2017 constitution regarding the qualifications of the prime minister.

“Please pay attention to what the court has to say. Don’t hurry to interpret the charter on your own and without sufficient understanding, inch he said.

He has been responding to critics who have cited the minutes of a Sept 7, 2018 meeting of a charter drafting committee to support their see that Gen Prayut’s maximum eight-year tenure ends later this month.

“Gen Prayut will respect the court’s opinions because he has never thought of himself to be above the law. And begs all edges to stick to the principle of law too, ” said the spokesman.

Section 158 of the constitution limits the phrase of a prime ressortchef (umgangssprachlich) to eight yrs, but disagreement abounds as to when Gen Prayut’s term formally began.

Some believe it should be this month because the count started in 2014 when he initial assumed the role of prime ressortchef (umgangssprachlich) after the coup that year.

Another group states his term should end in 2027 as they was appointed perfect minister under the 2017 charter in 06 2019. As a result, his eight-year limit would end in 2027.

Last Friday, activist Srisuwan Janya inquired the Office of the Ombudsman and the Election Commission rate (EC) to seek a Constitutional Court judgment on when Gen Prayut’s eight-year tenure concludes.

According to an excerpt of the Sept 2018 meeting, Meechai Ruchupan, chairman of the 2017 charter drafting committee, said the eight-year tenure of an EVENING in office prior to the charter should span both the time before it came into effect, and the period right after if the same prime minister served again after the new constitution has been put in place.

Suphot Khaimuk, a former Constitutional Court judge and the former first deputy chairman of the charter drafting panel, seconded Mr Meechai’s opinion, according to the research being circulated on social media.

This has led some critics to conclude that Gen Prayut’s eight-year term will end this month.

Mr Suphot, however , insisted on Wednesday  the period should be counted from your day of royal endorsement.