3 weeks or 5 years – how much longer can Prayut legally stay in power?

[webfact]

 

By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk

 

Questions over whether Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha can legally remain in office after August 24 have resurfaced as the date approaches.

 

On that date, Gen Prayut will have been in the post for eight years, the legal limit set by the Constitution.

What the Constitution says

 

Unlike all previous editions, the current Thai charter stipulates a time limit for the PM’s tenure. Article 158 states that: “The prime minister shall not hold office for more than eight years in total, whether or not consecutively. However, this shall not include the period during which the prime minister carries out duties after vacating the office.”

 

When to start counting?

 

Many observers, including Prayut’s critics, insist the eight-year period started when he first assumed the premiership on August 24, 2014 – following the military coup he led in May that year.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/3-weeks-or-5-years-how-much-longer-can-prayut-legally-stay-in-power/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-08-04

 

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[BritManToo]

He didn't gain power legally, so why would he leave at all?

He'll stay until removed by force.

Edited August 4, 2022 by BritManToo

[ThailandRyan]

is the word Legally an oxymoron for coup d'état.  I guess when you overthrow a democratic government to restore the power you believe that is being misused, and you want the country to give the power to you by bowing down is a very big Grey Area.  No wonder Myanmar copied Thailand with its latest Junta move.....

[sammieuk1]

There will always be a budget from those who prop him up to buy more votes than voters but this is the land of unexplained nasty accidents so who knows ????

[ikke1959]

every day is a day too much, and with his friends in the Constitutional Court be prepared for another 5 years, Elections or not...they will be manipulated as he will not move out.... He feels/thinks, it is a lifetime job, although he offered his position who could do better, but as he thinks by himself there is no one who could do it than he...

[ThailandRyan]

14 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

every day is a day too much, and with his friends in the Constitutional Court be prepared for another 5 years, Elections or not...they will be manipulated as he will not move out.... He feels/thinks, it is a lifetime job, although he offered his position who could do better, but as he thinks by himself there is no one who could do it than he...

He designed a 20 year road map that he wants to oversee...

[lujanit]

Prayuth can stay as long as he wants or maybe the powers that is behind him allow him to.

[daveAustin]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

He didn't gain power legally, so why would he leave at all?

He'll stay until removed by force.

... or croaks it.

[harada]

3 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

There will always be a budget from those who prop him up to buy more votes than voters but this is the land of unexplained nasty accidents so who knows ????

Ah yes, the fatal rare blood disorder followed by a quick cremation (skip the autopsy) was an old favourite, those were the good ol days. ????

[law ling]

1. Confusion so often reigns here - the issue has been alive for a long time, and should have been put to the court well before now (ditto re his failure to properly take his oath of office).

 

2. Is the time-limiting law in the constitution he himself drafted? - he must be kicking himself over such a blunder.

[Lucky Bones]

Deary Me!

Cha-Cha and "legally" used together.

Reality check aisle #1.????

[JonnyF]

The constitution is irrelevant. They've re-written it before when required and could do so again. Staging a coup doesn't exactly make me think they care about the law.

 

The real question is whether his handlers are happy with the job he is doing. Personally I get the feeling he is on borrowed time and might be replaced with another general quite soon.

 

A case of "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss".

[The Hammer2021]

Legally? 5555555555

[klauskunkel]

Quote

how much longer can Prayut legally stay in power?

what's "legality" got to do with it?

[billd766]

From an old childrens story of long ago.

 

quote 

“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’

’The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’

’The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.”

 

Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass.

[kingstonkid]

And they are just talking abut it now.  The court case should have started a year ago.  Look at this to go on for a few months then the PPP thank him for his service and appooint a new PM. Maybe soemone that likes masks and marijuana.

[zzaa09]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

The constitution is irrelevant. They've re-written it before when required and could do so again. Staging a coup doesn't exactly make me think they care about the law.

 

The real question is whether his handlers are happy with the job he is doing. Personally I get the feeling he is on borrowed time and might be replaced with another general quite soon.

 

A case of "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss".

So true. One just has to have a firm grasp of how things are done here and the mechanics of how it's been done forever. Remember who's pulling the strings and has final say so in most every circumstance. 

 

Regarding the cycle of surface change - by coup, by fair/fraudulent election, by other manipulated means, etc - all remains the same. The staging theatre remains steadfast, though the players might appear different here and there. The revered and traditional underworld has the last word. 

 

The next one, in a form or another, will be hand picked as well. Remembering Prayut's background and where he comes from. Same same.

Yeah......perhaps we'll have a respite "civilian" government for show [also highly controlled] that is short lived and replaced by the ever popular coup-of-the-month club. The highly manipulated cycles continue on.....

 

Trimming branches here and there does little. 

[Sydebolle]

Well, it seems that he shot himself into his own foot. The eight years are on record simply because the PM has to be instated by His Majesty. Coup d'état or not, voted in or won the seat in the latest washpower competition - all irrelevant. 
Once His Majesty signs the order, the clock is ticking hence Prayut now cannot come and say that he was officiated in March 2019 only (read that somewhere a while back). 

Best would be to dissolve the house and just forget about all that mess. Hire external professionals to govern Thailand and pay them according to their savings to the benefit of Thailand's people. Of course, this will never happen but the consecutive governments I witnessed ever since Prem in the 80s are proof enough, that this country is two, possibly three generations away of any political responsibility. 

So, bottomline could also be, leave Prayut in charge until they carry him out of the parliament feet forward, put Prawit in charge or the Mae Baan (janitor) swiping the floor of the parliament building. The benefit of Thailand remains the very same. Only exception I could quote are the two interim governments by Anand Panyarachoon as appointed directly by His Majesty back in the day. 

[NoshowJones]

He would need to be legally in power in the first place, and he and his soldiers are certainly not that. As long as he has his soldiers and guns he will be the unelected PM for as long as he wants.

[rudi49jr]

“How much longer can Prayuth legally stay in power.”

 

As long as he likes. He is a coup leader, they changed the constitution already in 2016/2017, changing some laws so he can rule indefinitely would be easy-peasy for this regime.

[spidermike007]

For a guy who originally said he would be a short term "caretaker PM", he seems to have changed his tune, and now prefers it appears to be a lifetime appointment. 

 

The sooner he leaves, resigns, gets kicked out, or is defeated, the better. His level of malfeasance is epic. His inability to be a good leader is well established.

 

Why the powers that be would consider him the preferable option is fairly clear. It has little to do with competency. He is moving Thailand backwards. 

Edited August 4, 2022 by spidermike007

[zzaa09]

8 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

For a guy who originally said he would be a short term "caretaker PM", he seems to have changed his tune, and now prefers it appears to be a lifetime appointment. 

 

The sooner he leaves, resigns, gets kicked out, or is defeated, the better. His level of malfeasance is epic. His inability to be a good leader is well established.

 

Why the powers that be would consider him the preferable option is fairly clear. It has little to do with competency. He is moving Thailand backwards. 

Yes.....that's what they want.

[hotchilli]

20 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

He designed a 20 year road map that he wants to oversee...

You beat me to it.... he's staying as long as he can.

[OneMoreFarang]

I think it's more important to know: 

"3 weeks or 5 years – how much longer can Prayut legally stay in power?"

 

And also not unimportant: Will he be replaced by a criminal or a proxy of the criminal fugitive?

[billd766]

20 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

So true. One just has to have a firm grasp of how things are done here and the mechanics of how it's been done forever. Remember who's pulling the strings and has final say so in most every circumstance. 

 

Regarding the cycle of surface change - by coup, by fair/fraudulent election, by other manipulated means, etc - all remains the same. The staging theatre remains steadfast, though the players might appear different here and there. The revered and traditional underworld has the last word. 

 

The next one, in a form or another, will be hand picked as well. Remembering Prayut's background and where he comes from. Same same.

Yeah......perhaps we'll have a respite "civilian" government for show [also highly controlled] that is short lived and replaced by the ever popular coup-of-the-month club. The highly manipulated cycles continue on.....

 

Trimming branches here and there does little. 

quote "Remember who's pulling the strings and has final say so in most every circumstance."

 

I have a small feeling that this is something that the protesting students want to be able to control. Not to remove that person, but to make that person understand that this is the 21st century and NOT the 18th or 19th century that the ultra yellow shirts want to push Thailand.

 

Perhaps to make it something like it is with certain families in the UK and Europe.

[stoutfella]

I would have thought for as long as he keeps the military, who put him there, sweet.

[Excel]

Just now, stoutfella said:

I would have thought for as long as he keeps the military, who put him there, sweet.

You think it was them ?

[Gknrd]

On 8/4/2022 at 2:03 PM, JonnyF said:

The constitution is irrelevant. They've re-written it before when required and could do so again. Staging a coup doesn't exactly make me think they care about the law.

 

The real question is whether his handlers are happy with the job he is doing. Personally I get the feeling he is on borrowed time and might be replaced with another general quite soon.

 

A case of "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss".

Same same but different.... 

 

[gazza4]

Just remember, Prawit, not Prayut, is the real boss of Thailand. 

[greeneking]

5 hours ago, Excel said:

You think it was them ?

I have seen reports 100000 are working, and owe their loyalty, to one who is above the army. The days of the so called Eastern Tigers have been fading.

Best not to be clearer.