BANGKOK — The Ombudsman’s Office is set to rule tomorrow on what to do with a complaint against Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s incomplete oath of office, officials said Monday.
The agency will meet at 9.30am to decide whether to forward the case to the Administrative or the Constitutional Court. The complaint, filed by several activists, accused Gen. Prayuth of violating the nation’s highest law by failing to deliver a full oath when he took up his second term as prime minister in July.
The same office, which is tasked with monitoring alleged malfeasance by state officials, will also deliberate on a separate request to probe whether Prayuth’s continuation as prime minister violates any laws.
Decisions on the two cases will likely be reached within the same day, officials said. A news conference is expected at 11.30am.
At Government House today, Prayuth refused to answer questions from the media regarding the incomplete oath.
Read: Prayuth Not Quitting for Botching Oath
The oath of office is required under Article 161 of Thailand’s Constitution, which includes the complete oath and states it must be said to the King before cabinet ministers take office.
For reasons still unknown, Prayuth skipped over a line –“I will also uphold and comply with the Constitution of the Kingdom in every aspect” – when he presented the new Cabinet to His Majesty the King on July 16.
The incident prompted transparency activist Srisuwan Junya and two other campaigners to file a complaint to the Ombudsman’s Office asking the agency to disqualify Prayuth for violating the charter.
Government officials insisted Prayuth did nothing wrong, but would not explain the cause of the omission either.
Opposition leaders have also said they are planning to grill Prayuth over the incomplete oath in Parliament.
