ThaiMythbuster · @thaimythbuster
1st Jul 2022 from TwitLonger
8 years is too long / Prayuth expressing doubts about continuing in office.
by: thaipoliticalprisoners
Yesterday Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha seemed to be expressing doubts about continuing in office.
Now there's another expression of doubt.
Deputy Prime Minister and usually the general's reliable legal backers, Wissanu Krea-ngam saying he has doubts regarding his boss's tenure and premier. He reportedly included himself among the "doubters" on the general's 8-year term when he "encouraged those who may wonder whether ... Prayut ... will have spent a maximum of eight years in power by the upcoming August to call on the Constitutional Court for judgement."
The court spins in the wind following the ruling elite's wishes and usually supports the status quo. all members of which were handpicked by a coup junta under leadership of Prayut as army chief who then named himself prime minister. The report observes: "all members [of the court] ... were handpicked by a coup junta under leadership of Prayut as army chief who then named himself prime minister."
But, is the elite turning against the general?
Wissanu reportedly said that "Prayut’s eight-year tenure as maximally provided by law will almost certainly raise a bone of contention, thus prompting those who may have doubts about it to file a petition to the Constitutional Court to judge."
He also said that "government agencies including the Council of State and the Secretariat to the Prime Minister as well as public attorneys may be told by the premier to find out an answer to this question so that he could get himself well-prepared."
Prayut’s 8 years is up in August.
The constitution's section 158 states: "The Prime Minister shall not hold office for more than eight years in total, whether or not holding consecutive term." Seems clear enough.