Constitutional Court rules that PM Prayut’s 8-year term in office has not expired

 

 

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ruled by a majority that, in accordance with the 2017 Constitution, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s 8-year term in office did not expire on August 24th.

 

The court reasoned that the prime minister’s term should be calculated from the promulgation of that Constitution on April 6th, 2017. The court took less than 30 minutes to read theirruling, which was broadcast live nationwide.

 

As a result of this afternoon’s ruling, Prime Minister Prayut, who was suspended from active duty by the court on August 23rd, will resume his position immediately and will be back in the premiere’s office in Government House on Monday.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/constitutional-court-rules-that-pm-prayuts-8-year-term-in-office-has-not-expired/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-09-30

 

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Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Can Continue In Office, Court Rules

By Editor

 

 

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ruled that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha can continue in office and that he had not surpassed his maximum eight-year term limit as premier.

 

The court, in a 25-minute reading of the 6-3 verdict on Friday (30TH October), said Prayuth’s tenure as prime minister should be counted from 2017, when a new constitution was promulgated.

 

The Office of the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) had already tentatively scheduled the day of the next general election for May 7th next year, but if re-elected after next general elections Prayuth could serve no more than two more years.

 

The decision will be a boost for Prayuth, a staunch royalist whose premiership has been beset by attempts to unseat him, including four house censure motions, a conflict of interest case and major protests challenging his leadership and the monarchy.

 

Prayuth, 68, had been suspended from office while the court deliberated the case.

Prayuth’s critics had argued that his time in office should be calculated from 2014, when he took power as army commander in the aftermath of a coup that removed Thailand’s elected Pheu Thai party government.

 

Supporters of Prayuth had maintained that his term in office should be calculated from at least 2017, or from when Prayuth took office after his election as a civilian prime minister in 2019.

 

In a surprise move, Prayuth was suspended as Prime Minister in August by the Constitutional Court, which had accepted a petition from Thailand’s political opposition calling for it to rule on whether the premier had exhausted his time in office.

 

Although suspended from his role as premier, Prayuth has remained in the cabinet as Thailand’s defence minister.  Prayuth went to work at the Defence Ministry on Friday morning, according to reports, and was expected to return to his residence to hear the court’s ruling in the afternoon.

 

Source: https://royalcoastreview.com/2022/09/thai-prime-minister-prayuth-can-continue-in-office-court-rules/

 

-- © Copyright Royal Coast Review 2022-10-01

 

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10 hours ago, khunpa said:

Great news for all Thais!!! A GREAT and POPULAR leader!

 

All Thais I know love him.

All Thais, is that your wife or the house cleaner or both making it plural  ????? 

10 hours ago, khunpa said:

Great news for all Thais!!! A GREAT and POPULAR leader!

 

All Thais I know love him.

Thanks for your input General. ????

11 hours ago, khunpa said:

Great news for all Thais!!! A GREAT and POPULAR leader!

 

All Thais I know love him.

So, how many do you know? One.

Not surprisingly did the court ruled in his favor he’s untouchable I need to find Elliot Ness to investigate all of the corruption starting from the very top one thing for sure he will be getting more wealthier in the years remaining corruption at its best TIT

Guess we won't have to worry about another coup for at least the next 3 years. (If the court decided his term started in 2017, that means he can stay in position until 2025.)

9 hours ago, monkfish said:

I am sorry but Thailand really does have the PM and government they deserve and I have stopped caring because they voted for it!

You are absolutely right.

12 hours ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Could be worse.  Could have Truss in command ????

At least our UK has the ability to remove a PM and the PM often resigns - unlike this 3rd world tin pot country's junta elite

8 hours ago, Lite Beer said:

You don't know many Thais then.

You are right, he doesn't.

1 hour ago, Artisi said:

All Thais, is that your wife or the house cleaner or both making it plural  ????? 

You nailed it.

He was just baby sitting the four years before that. 

Thailand's credibility hits an all time low with the puppet courts decision and total subservience to the government rather than being an independent organisation for truth and justice for the citizens.

 

A world laughing stock.

i'm surprised that anyone expected anything different.

Better the devil you know. His understudy who can't tell the time without a Rolex is far worse. 

13 hours ago, geisha said:

General election coming soon I suppose ?

Followed about 3 years later by a new constitution, necessitating a new clock.

Kind of like the UK Tories last week, give them enough rope, and they'll hang themselves. 

 

The problem with Prayuth, like Boris, is that the next possible picks are going to be much much worse... 

What a crock of <deleted>!! But think everyone knew the outcome - so elections March 2023 still? He can now attend the APEC meeting with that annoying smug look that only a mother could love! I can see many protests happening!! 

Wonder if Prayuth is now thinking of some “ special military operations”?

13 hours ago, pomchop said:

Surprise surprise....is this the same court that approved of a coup taking power in the middle of the night while taksin was away at a UN meeting and then found taksin guilty of all sorts of charges?

The problem with dictators is that they get a whiff of the $$ and power and fame and are not the least bit interested in that little thing called "democracy".

 

 

This country has no idea what Democracy is nor will it ever. This is very sad to hear but I for one am not surprised.

13 hours ago, khunpa said:

Great news for all Thais!!! A GREAT and POPULAR leader!

 

All Thais I know love him.

All Thais that I know, hate him very much. My wife and her large number of friends here can't stand him and always talks about how corrupt this government and country has been and continues to go down the <deleted>ter.

If the court ruled that the PM did not start his term of office until 2017, then who was the PM between 2014 and 2017? Just a general ruling the country after the coup? I guess in this case you can continue to make up the rules as you seem fit to do so while becoming richer and richer. How much money does one need until satisfied?  Maybe just the power trip is addictive then. Feel sad for the country being forced like this with all the corruption, my Thai wife is very angry, but not surprised. 

i have lost all respect for the Thai people.  looking around i see poverty and complacencies.  nothing will change until they summon the courage for change.  but they are a simple people who don't have within them.  passivity is their nature...

7 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

How the views on this forum has changed. Back when Prayut first came into power, 90% of the posters were pro-junta. 8 years later, 90% are anti. The old posters must have died off or been banned.

Rubbish....even 8 years ago, not many endorsed the military to rule the country...

58 minutes ago, chalawaan said:

Kind of like the UK Tories last week, give them enough rope, and they'll hang themselves. 

 

The problem with Prayuth, like Boris, is that the next possible picks are going to be much much worse... 

Oh dear - I'm pretty sure you missed an 'r' in 'picks'.....

12 hours ago, kickstart said:

There have been rumours of powerful lobbying behind the scenes to sway the court's decision.

If I had to hazard a guess, I'd be inclined to think it's more about a powerful flow of cash from one account to another that did the swaying work.   

 

 

11 hours ago, monkfish said:

I am sorry but Thailand really does have the PM and government they deserve and I have stopped caring because they voted for it!

"because they voted for it" doesn't consider the reality that it was the additional vote of an unelected Senate appointed by Gen. Prayut that that would him the PM. He otherwise did not have the majority in the elected House. 

So aka rigged election beyond the control of the electorate.

For those that didn't believe me, I can now say, I told you so.

14 hours ago, khunpa said:

Great news for all Thais!!! A GREAT and POPULAR leader!

 

All Thais I know love him.

I am hoping against hope that comment was sarcasm??

I am conflicted with this decision.

From a different perspective, Prayut and his Constitutional Court may have committed LM.

By not recognizing Prayut as a royally endorsed PM beginning in 2014 they all have in effect delegimentized the royal endorsement. At least as applied to the rich and powerful, aka the Good People who seem to have extra-constitutional priviledge. 

Welcome to the Thai-Styled "Democracy."