Prayuth’s Royal Oath Debate to Go Ahead Despite Court Dismissal

Prayuth Chan-ocha giving his oath of office during a ceremony at Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall on July 16, 2019.
Prayuth Chan-ocha giving his oath of office during a ceremony at Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall on July 16, 2019.

BANGKOK — An opposition leader said Wednesday parliamentary debate on PM Prayuth Chan-ocha’s incomplete oath of office will go ahead, despite a top court’s refusal to hear the case on the grounds that it involves the monarchy.

Future Forward Party sec-gen Piyabutr Saengkanokkul said an effort by Parliament to scrutinize Prayuth’s failure to complete the oath as mandated by the charter is now even more necessary, because the judicial branch would not take up their complaint.

The opposition may also attempt to impeach Prayuth for allegedly breaching the constitution, Piyabutr wrote online.

Parliamentary debate on the incomplete oath is set to take place on Sep. 18.

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Piyabutr spoke on the same day the Constitutional Court dismissed a legal challenge filed by the opposition against Prayuth for skipping a sentence when he took the oath of office in front of His Majesty the King in July.

The complaint sought to have Prayuth removed from office for violating the constitution, but the court said it cannot deliberate on the case because the oath-taking ceremony is an action between the government and His Majesty the King.

The court, which is tasked with settling disputes involving Thailand’s highest law, also said no other agency has the authority to hear the case.

The decision left government critics skeptical, as the text of the oath itself is enshrined in Section 161 of the 2016 Constitution.

“How could they use that reason? It’s a requirement by the constitution,” an exiled monarchy observer, whose name cannot be published here for legal reasons, wrote in a Facebook post that has attracted over 6,000 reactions. “How could it be an action between the Prime Minister (Prayuth) and the King?”

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