Thaksin tells suspended Thailand PM Prayut ‘to go with dignity’

Former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called for suspended PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to do the right thing and leave the political arena with dignity.

Thailand’s Constitutional Court, whose members were largely picked by a military-appointed Senate, surprised the world last week by suspending General Prayut while they deliberated whether he had overstayed his eight years’ tenure as the nation’s leader.

That eight years’ provision was intended to prevent popularly elected leaders from holding power too long, particularly after the army forcibly removed Thaksin in 2006 and his sister, Yingluck, in 2014.

Thaksin, who was overthrown by a military coup in 2006, beseeched the 2014 coup leader during his bi-weekly talk on Clubhouse to learn from his time as the kingdom’s premier and stand down.

“Trust me (Prayut), I am an elder brother who has gone through all this, and the days ahead for you are not going to be smooth, you may be happy only on the day you walk back (if the court allows) but thereafter it will be a living hell.”

The 73 year old exiled politician believes Gen Prayut faces political humiliation if he does not stand down. Thaksin does not believe any of the senators would back him or any of those that remain on the Prime Minister list.

Thaksin said the only option left for the Senate would be to continue with the caretaker Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon because it would be impossible to appoint a new PM because they would need a ¾ majority.

“The candidates that remain on the list are Anutin (Anutin Charnvirakul, the leader of Bhumjai Thai party), Abhisit (Abhisit Vejjajiva of Democrat party), and the two candidates from Pheu Thai.

“The senators would not vote for Anutin, and the Democrats may not appoint Abhisit to the position. There is no way that the Pheu Thai party’s candidates would get the backing of the senators. So that leaves for an outsider Prime Minister and getting ¾ majority, which is next to impossible.

“The only option now is for Prayut to step down and return the power to the people.”

Thaksin also added Gen Pruyut faces another complicated hurdle surrounding the issue of him not declaring his assets in 2019 when he became the PM. Gen Pruyut said he did not have to declare his assets in 2019 because he was continuing as prime minister but Thaksin thinks otherwise.

“If Gen Prayut is free from the eight-year case then the asset declaration case would be heaped upon him.”

Prayut’s office responded to the claim and insisted he had declared the assets in 2019 but there were no records from the National Anti-Corruption Commission which indicated anything in that regard.

SOURCE: Thai Enquirer