Prayut says media misunderstood him, no plan to stay on as PM
PRIME Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday denied having offered to head a post-election government, saying his remarks last Friday were misinterpreted by the media.
Prayut maintained that he had no plans to form a new political party or contest the next election, which is expected to take place late next year.
“I just complained about getting a low salary in contrast to the hard work. I said I was pleased to work even though I would not get paid. I did not mean I would stay on as prime minister in the next government,” he told reporters at Government House yesterday.
“The media concluded a wrong interpretation of what I said.”
On Friday, Prayut said: “Even though the work is harder and I am not paid for doing the work, I will be pleased to stay. But I will stay through democratic means and in a dignified way, although I don’t know now how that will come to be.”
The prime minister’s comments made headlines the following day and were interpreted as an offer to serve again after the next election.
Prayut said yesterday his reference to “democratic means” related to decisions to be made by the Constitution Drafting Commission and the Constitutional Court in regard to a new constitution and its organic laws.
The prime minister, who also heads the National Council for Peace and Order, refused to comment on a suggestion by his supporters that he should become a non-elected prime minister after the next election, as Privy Council president General Prem Tinsulanonda was from 1980 to 1988.
Prayut came under fire from critics after his remarks last Friday. Pheu Thai and Democrat politicians called on him to form his own political party to contest the next election.
A group of “friends” in the National Legislative Assembly also suggested that Prayut set up his own party.
In response, Prayut said yesterday he would focus on running the government for his remaining time in office rather than think of forming a new party or entering politics.
“Let’s talk about this when there will be an election. It’s not time for that now. I don’t want to waste my time. Don’t try to pit me against others,” he told reporters.
The PM also said he was planning to reshuffle his Cabinet to add deputy ministers to ministries that have none now, noting that the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry was one of them.
Prayut said he trusted all his ministers but he would investigate any allegation of irregularity against them.
Currently, two Cabinet seats are vacant. The post-coup interim charter allows the Cabinet to have no more than 35 members, in addition to the prime minister.
