Prayut reports for work as defence minister
General Prayut Chan-o-cha intends to continue working as Defence Minister until the Constitutional Court issues a ruling on his tenure as prime minister, a source said on Friday.
The source said Prayut quietly showed up at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district in his personal car at around 10am on Friday.
Prayut reportedly headed to his office on the second floor without giving any interviews or exchanging pleasantries with ministry officials.
The source said only deputy defence minister General Chaichan Chanmongkol and permanent secretary General Worakiat Ratananont were informed of Prayut’s visit on Friday. They were both reportedly instructed not to have officials form a line to welcome Prayut, as he did not want "boisterous" greetings on his arrival.
The source added that Prayut said he intended to work in his capacity as the Defence Minister until the Constitutional Court gives a ruling on his tenure as the prime minister.
On Wednesday, Constitutional Court judges voted 5:4 to accept a petition seeking a ruling on Prayut’s tenure and suspended him as PM until a verdict is issued. The court’s order automatically put first Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan in charge as caretaker PM.
Opposition MPs invoked the Constitution’s Article 82 to launch a petition, asking the court whether Prayut had completed eight years in office as stipulated by the 2017 charter.
They insist that his tenure should be calculated from August 24, 2014, when he took over as PM after leading a military putsch to oust the elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra. Such a calculation would mean his tenure should have ended on August 23, 2022.
Earlier on Thursday, Prayut attended the Defence Council meeting virtually, while appearing calm and collected. Prayut told meeting attendees not to worry about him and urged everyone to focus on doing their duties.
