PM’s oath-taking ruled unconstitutional

PHOTO: South China Morning Post

The PM’s omission of an important sentence when taking his oath of office has been ruled unconstitutional by Thailand’s ombudsman. The matter is now being referred to the Constitutional Court to rule on whether the government was legally established.

The controversy began on July 16, when PM General Prayuth Chan-o-cha left out a key sentence during his oath-taking ceremony. The sentence refers to an undertaking to uphold the constitution and it’s unclear whether its exclusion was intentional or not.

The PM has continually maintained it’s not a problem, but the ombudsman’s office clearly thinks differently, having made its ruling after complaints from three members of the public.

Parliamentary opposition plans to hold a debate on the controversy and the PM is vowing to defend himself, rather than send a representative.

He has been in power since leading the military coup in 2014, and being re-elected in March of this year. The election was not without controversy, with some speculating that the result was fixed in his favour.

SOURCES: Chiang Rai Times