Prawit backs Prayut to keep job
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon on Tuesday backed Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to survive the legal dispute over the eight-year limit on his premiership and carry on in the role for two more years.
He said he also expects Gen Prayut to be nominated as a Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) candidate for prime minister for a second time.
Speaking at Government House on Tuesday, Gen Prawit, who also serves as PPRP leader, said that he was ready to once again nominate Gen Prayut as the prime ministerial candidate of the ruling party. However, he would not refuse outright if party members wanted to nominate him instead.
Section 158 of the constitution limits the term of a prime minister to eight years, but people are divided as to when Gen Prayut's term officially began.
Last Friday, activist Srisuwan Janya asked the Office of the Ombudsman and the Election Commission (EC) to seek a Constitutional Court interpretation of when Gen Prayut's eight-year tenure concludes.
He said the record should be set straight as there are three potential dates that have been bandied around by various groups.
Some believe it should be this month because the count started in 2014 when he first assumed the role of prime minister after the coup that year.
Another group claims his term should end in 2027 because he was appointed prime minister under the 2017 charter in June 2019. As a result, his eight-year limit would end in 2027. Read More…
