ThaiEnquirer.com-Aug 26
In probably the biggest political news in Thailand in a long time, 2014 coup leader and incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was suspended by the Constitutional Court to undertake duties as Premier until the court delivers a ruling on his 8-year tenure. It is not surprising that the court decided to accept the opposition’s petition on whether General Prayut’s tenure has now breached the 8-year term limit imposed by the constitution. Although the Constitutional Court has not always accepted hot-potato political cases in the past, there was little justification for why the court would not accept a case so clearly under their jurisdiction, and many legal experts expected the court to take this on. General Prayut remains defense minister and will continue to serve in the cabinet, but all eyes will now turn to his deputy Prawit Wongsuwan, who now serves as acting prime minister. It is the first change in official leadership, even if temporary, that Thailand has had in 8-years. General Prawit will be limited in his role as a caretaker; he cannot make key personnel or budgetary decisions. Now, with the prospect that General Prayut does not survive this court ruling becoming a very real possibility, it is worth asking who his successor will be. General Prawit is the most obvious successor in the short term, as he leads Palang Pracharath party (PPRP), the biggest party in the coalition, and has enough clout to keep the unwieldy coalition together. While the winds of change appear to be blowing, and General Prayut is certainly damaged by the Constitutional Court’s ruling, whether or not the court will deal a final blow to his premiership remains an open question. Read more at: https://www.thaienquirer.com/43340/four-takeaways-from-prime-minister-prayuts-suspension-by-the-constitutional-court/
