With the judgment of the Bangkok judges, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha can not only remain in office, but also stand in the upcoming 2023 elections.
The Thai prime minister was suspended at the end of August.
kca./(dpa)
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha, who was suspended from office five weeks ago, is allowed to remain head of government. This was the decision of the Southeast Asian country’s constitutional court on Friday in a much-anticipated ruling on the regulation of terms of office. Activist groups announced demonstrations in response to the verdict.
Prayut was suspended in late August after the court granted an opposition motion. This argued that Prayut, who has been in power since 2014, has already reached the end of his term. According to the constitution, this is limited to eight years.
The then army chief took over the post in August 2014 after a military coup. However, the nine-member court ruled that Prayut’s term in office has only been counted since the new constitution came into force in April 2017. Vice Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan had been temporarily in charge of official business since August.
The strictest security precautions have been in place at the court since early morning. Hundreds of police officers were on duty. The next general election is scheduled for May 7, 2023. If Prayut is re-elected, his term would end after two years, according to the verdict.