Govt could stay longer: official

His remark came after a fortune-teller earlier cast doubt on the time frame for the general election.

According to the junta’s road map, the government will call the poll early next year.

Whether the administration will continue working beyond its scheduled demise depends largely on the country’s situation at that time, Sansern said.

Warin Buawiratlert, one of the country’s most influential astrologers, claimed he saw the Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha running the country for three more years without any hostile movements or undercurrents “because the country’s star is not ominous”. 

To ease the pressure from some Western countries and democracy advocates, Prayut said during a special interview with Japanese broadcaster NHK in February that the general election would be held late this year at the earliest, or early next year. 

Sansern said Prayut probably felt good that Warin has given him support to continue working and that the country would be peaceful.

Sansern said that how many months or years the prime minister and his Cabinet will stay in power depended on whether they have accomplished the objectives mapped out for them. 

The PM set the objectives in terms of fulfilling his mission. If everything goes as planned, the government does not need to remain in office. 

“The PM has always said the government does not want power but wants to work for the country,” he said.

“However, if there are anti-government movements trying to block the government from working or accomplishing the goals laid down in the road map or instigating riots, the government has no choice but to stand side by side with the people, as we cannot abandon them,” he said.

Colonel Winthai Suvari, spokesman for the National Council for Peace and Order, said that Warin was just making a prediction and that the government and the NCPO insist that they are on course in traversing the road map to democracy. 

“Nothing has changed,’’ he said.

Dr Jetn Siratharanon, a member of the National Legislative Assembly, said he could not comment on Warin’s prophecy but in his view, the NLA would follow the road map and not the heavens.

 

Positive results from new poll 

“We cannot link the prediction with our road map,” he said.

The NLA can complete its tasks as assigned by the government, he said.

More than 60 per cent of community leaders believe General Prayut will exercise his authority constructively under Article 44 of the provisional charter, according to a public opinion poll.

Thai Researchers in Community Happiness Association conducted the master poll on 1,016 community leaders in 19 provinces from April 3-5.

On April 1, martial law was replaced by an NCPO order issued under Article 44.

The survey found that 94.4 per cent acknowledge the NCPO had lifted martial law and invoked Article 44, while 5.6 per cent did not know.

About 38.3 per cent of the community leaders believe that Prayut made the right decision in cancelling martial law and that Article 44 was quite similar to martial law, followed by 25.8 per cent who feel no change in employing Article 44 instead of martial law

When asked whether they are confident that Prayut will use the article creatively as promised to the people, 67 per cent of the leaders said they did, adding that the PM would keep his word because he is an honest and responsible person.

About 27 per cent of the leaders were uncertain that the PM could exercise this article creatively, and 5.3 per cent strongly felt a lack of confidence in Prayut because Thailand’s conflicts and situation had still not improved. More important, Prayut is a hot-headed person and he alone cannot contain the situation.

Asked whether they believe in Article 44, 87 per cent said they did but 12.6 per cent said otherwise.

On whether they believe lifting martial law could lead the country in a better direction, 73.8 per cent said love and unity of the people would increase, while 62 per cent said relationships with other countries could be better. 

The government is preparing to explain Article 44 to foreign diplomats today at the Foreign Ministry. 

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam and Winthai, also deputy Army spokesman, will describe and summarise the process of enforcing Article 44 by NCPO leader Prayut to the representatives of foreign countries and international organisations as well as the international media.

In the forum, reports and documents in English will be handed out for better understanding of the law, but the forum will be observed by those who received invitations.

Suriyasai Katasila, director of the Thailand Reform Institute, called for the government to deploy Article 44 discreetly.“The challenge for the NCPO regarding the use of Article 44 is how to use it creatively and for the benefit of the people as a whole.”