Council of States rule Sangha Council’s nomination of new supreme patriarch not illegal



BANGKOK: -- The Council of State has ruled that the Office of National Buddhism’s submission to the prime minister of the resolution of the Sangha Council regarding the nomination of the new supreme patriarch does not contravene with Section 7 of the Monastic Act.

Prime Minister’s Office Minister Suwaphan Tanyuwatthana said that the core element of Section 7 the Sangha Council must nominate the highest-ranking Somdet Phra Racha Khana to be the new supreme patriarch and the Council of State has not ruled that the prime minister must initiate the nomination.

According to the council’s ruling, the prime minister must adhere to the Sangha Council’s nomination and the Office of National Buddhism’s submission to the prime minister of the Sangha Council’s resolution is not against the Monastic Act.

Since the Sangha Council has done according to the law, Minister Suwaphan said his next move was to send the council’s resolution to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha in accordance with Section 7 of the Monastic Act.

The Sangha Council has nominate Somdet Phra Maha Mangklajarn (Somdet Chuang), abbot of Wat Paknam Phasicharoen, to be the next supreme patriarch to succeed Somdet Phra Yannasangvorn who died over a year ago.

But Somdet Chuang is said to be closed to Phra Dhammachayo, the abbot of Wat Dhammakaya, and his nomination earlier this year was opposed by many people.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/council-states-rule-sangha-councils-nomination-new-supreme-patriarch-not-illegal/


-- Thai PBS 2016-07-11

More fluff to fill the papers.

Council of State says 'it's not illegal.

I don't see any comment at all from the Council of State whether it's the best or worst or appropriate nomination for the job.

Jeez - the guy's 90 years old for crying out loud!

Had they delayed the decision much longer, it could have become an exercise in futility.

His reluctance to answer questions about his 1953 Mercedes, valued at $250,000, and his close relationship to Phra Dhammachayo pales into insignificance when one considers the transgressions of oh so many other prominent Thais.

At least now they can move on from the stalemate that had left the country without a Buddhist leader since the country’s last supreme patriarch, Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, died in 2013 aged 100.