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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/politics/40019303

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan became the caretaker prime minister after General Prayut Chan-o-cha was suspended from duty by the Constitutional Court on Wednesday.

Being the first deputy premier, Prawit automatically became caretaker prime minister following Prayut’s suspension.

The second prime minister is Wissanu Krea-ngam.

Earlier, the court voted 5:4 to accept for deliberation an opposition petition on whether Prayut’s tenure should expire on Wednesday. The court also accepted a request in the petition to suspend Prayut from duty pending a ruling.

On Tuesday, Wissanu said Prawit would be the caretaker prime minister and Prayut would continue to work as the defence minister if the court suspended him from his PM duty.

Prawit is considered the eldest brother of the so-called three General Ps – Prawit, Prayut and Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda, whose nickname is Gen Pok.

The three General Ps have always been part of Prayut’s Cabinet since the coup on May 22, 2014.

Prawit was born on August 11, 1945.

He is considered a “soldier politician”, being defence minister twice – from 2008 to 2011 and 2014 to 2019.

Prawit held the powerful post of Army commander-in-chief in 2004 and 2005.

He became deputy chief of the National Council for Peace and Order that seized power on May 22, 2014, later going on to lead the Palang Pracharath Party.

Prawit finished secondary school at St Gabriel’s School in 1992. He completed Class 6 at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School in 1965 and then graduated from Class 17 at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy in 1969.

He later attended the Royal Thai Army’s Command and General Staff College in 1997 and completed a Class 40 defence course at the National Defence College in 2013.

Prawit advanced in his career in the First Army Area, especially in the 21st Infantry Regiment (Queen’s Guards).

Needless to say, he is very close to Anupong and Prayut.

Published : August 24, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/politics/40019299

The majority of Constitutional Court judges on Wednesday voted to accept an opposition petition for deliberation on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s tenure and suspended him from duty until a ruling is made.

The judges voted 5:4 to accept the petition, which was forwarded to the court by the Secretariat of the House of Representatives.

Opposition MPs invoked Section 82 to sign their names sponsoring the petition, asking the court whether Prayut’s tenure should be deemed expired in accordance with provisions of the Constitution that limited the tenure of a prime minister to eight years. They insist his tenure ended on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.

The petition also asked the court to suspend Prayut from duty until a ruling is made.

The current nine Constitutional Court judges are court president Worawit Kangsasitiam, Dr Jiraniti Hawanon, Udom Sitthiwirattham, Wiroon Saengthian, Banjongsak Wongprat, Thaweekiart Minakasit, Nakarin Mektrairat, Panya Udchachon, and Noppadon Theppithak.

Earlier, the Pheu Thai Party said Prayut was now facing “the political trap of the charter that he designed to block the Pheu Thai from winning executive power”.

On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said that even if Prayut was suspended as the prime minister, he could still continue working as the defence minister.

Wissanu had said Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan would be caretaker prime minister in case Prayut was suspended from duty.

Published : August 24, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/politics/40019297

Opposition Pheu Thai and Move Forward lawmakers attended Parliament on Wednesday wearing black to protest against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha who, they believe, should have stepped down on completing eight years in office.

Prayut became prime minister eight years ago on August 24.

Most Pheu Thai MPs from across the country dressed in black, such as Ubon Ratchathani MP Chuvit Pitakpornpunlup, Lamphun MP Sanguan Pongmanee and Lopburi MP Ubonsak Bualuang-ngam.

Meanwhile, Move Forward MPs who dressed in Black included party-list MP Suthep Ou-oun, Trat MP Sakdinai Numnoo and Phitsanulok MP Padipat Santipada.

Critics are demanding that Prayut, who doubles as defence minister, step down before Wednesday when they say his eight-year term as stipulated by the Constitution expires.

Opposition MPs have submitted a petition for the Constitutional Court to rule on when Prayut’s eight-year tenure expires.

Pheu Thai and Move Forward MPs said they had dressed in black because they believe that Prayut is a barbarian prime minister whose eight-year tenure has expired.

Article 158 of the Constitution states that: “The prime minister shall not hold office for more than eight years in total, whether or not consecutively.”

However, there is a dispute over the date from which Prayut’s tenure should be counted.

The opposition insists Prayut’s term started when he first assumed premiership on August 24, 2014, after ousting Yingluck Shinawatra’s elected government in a military putsch led by him in May.

Others say his tenure began when the current Constitution was enforced on April 6, 2017, while a third group claims Prayut’s premiership actually began on June 9, 2019, when he was sworn in as prime minister after the general election.

Published : August 24, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/politics/40019296

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was suspended from duty by the Constitutional Court after the court on Wednesday accepted a petition on his eight-year tenure for judicial review and a ruling.

Published : August 24, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/politics/40019294

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha stayed home to chair a meeting via video conference to avoid protesters amid intense suspense about whether the Constitutional Court would accept a petition on his tenure.

Prayut did not turn up at Government House in the morning as usual as several groups of protesters rallied nearby to demand that he step down on grounds that he had reached his eight-year premiership limit.

He chaired a video conference of the national committee on the country’s industrial competitiveness at 9.30am.

A source said the committee meeting was normally held with physical attendance at Government House, but Wednesday’s meeting was held via video conference.

Prayut meanwhile assigned Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai to represent him as chairman of an event to hand out Prime Minister Awards for National Start-ups 2022 and for Innovation for Crisis at the Santi Maitree Building at 1.30pm.

The court is expected to decide on Wednesday whether to accept the opposition petition for a review.

In case the court accepts the petition, it is expected to spend a few days to decide whether Prayut must be temporarily suspended from duty pending a ruling.

Published : August 24, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/politics/40019287

The Constitutional Court can rule on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s tenure under two scenarios.

Critics have demanded that Prayut, who doubles as defence minister, step down before August 24, the day they insist his eight-year term as stipulated in the Constitution expires.

The opposition filed a petition with the court on Monday, asking for a ruling on Prayut’s tenure.

The court is scheduled to hold its weekly meeting on Wednesday, but it is not known if the judges will take up the petition for consideration on the same day.

Article 158 paragraph 4 of the Constitution states: “The prime minister shall not hold office for more than eight years in total, whether or not consecutively.”

Here are the two scenarios:

Scenario one: Prayut became prime minister on August 27, 2014, under Interim Constitution BE 2557 (2014).

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said this scenario is in line with the petition from opposition MPs and lecturers from 15 universities.

“Under this scenario, Prayut can remain in office only until August 24, 2022,” he said.

Scenario two: Prayut became prime minister on June 9, 2019, under current Constitution BE 2560 (2017).

Lt-General Nanthadet Meksawad, former head of the National Security Centre’s Special Operations Centre, argued that Prayut was appointed as prime minister only on June 9, 2019, after the general election on March 24, 2019.

Article 158 paragraph 1 of the Constitution says: “The King appoints the prime minister and not more than 35 ministers to form the Cabinet, which is responsible for state affairs.”

“Hence, Prayut has served only around three years of his eight-year term,” Nanthadet argued.

Published : August 24, 2022

By : THE NATION