Constitutional Court Considers Petition To Rule On Prayuth's Term

Thailand's Constitutional Court may decide as soon as today whether to consider a petition filed by opposition lawmakers seeking a clarification on whether Prime Minister Prayuth's eight-year term in office has expired.

• The Thai constitution stipulates that the Prime Minister "shall not hold office for more than eight years in total." It is unclear whether Prayuth's term should be counted from 2014 when he first took office after a military coup, or from the promulgation of the new constitution in 2017. Some of Prayuth's supporters claim that his tenure began in 2019, when he became Prime Minister in the wake of a general election.
• Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu told reporters Tuesday that the Constitutional Court was about to meet but "it requires a few more days to consider the matter first." He added that if the Court decides to suspend Prayuth until judges issue a ruling on his term, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit will serve as acting Prime Minister, while Prayuth "can still carry on as defence minister," a portfolio he holds in addition to being head of government.