Thai army chief vows no coup after polls

Thailand’s chief of defence forces is vowing that there will be no military coup after the country’s next general election on May 7, 2023. Chalermpol Srisawat remarked on a reaction to reporters’ questions about how the military will respond if the elections produce a shift in the political landscape. He says the armed forces have no role in politics, but like other state agencies, they serve as a government mechanism to administer the country and are therefore obliged to follow its policy.

He went on to state that their responsibilities were legally defined and designated. He also noted that, like the general public, they expect to see the country’s democratic development continue under a constitutional monarchy.

“No matter what the situation is, the military will go about its work. The public can be assured of that.”

In terms of an expected coup after the general elections, the Bangkok Post says Charlermpol insisted that there would not be a coup. Narongpan Jitkaewtae, the army commander, also agreed with Charlermpol’s assurances.

In 2014, Prayut Chan-o-cha, then commander of the Royal Thai Army, led a military coup on May 22 against the elected leader, Yingluck Shinawatra, of Thailand after six months of political unrest. The military established a junta called the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to govern the nation. The 2014 coup ended the political conflict between the military-led regime and the democratic power, which was still ongoing since 2006 and is known as the unfinished coup.

But, the NCPO issued a post-coup interim charter in 2014, only to be replaced by a new constitution in 2017 that granted itself amnesty and sweeping power. Then, in 2020, it drafted another constitution which established a military-dominated national legislature that unanimously elected Prayut Chan-o-cha as the new prime minister of Thailand, sparking widespread protests because a military-dominated government would exclude any democratic elections.