Suspended Thai PM vows to continue as Defence Minister

Suspended Thai leader Prayuth Chan-ocha has vowed to continue as defence minister after a court ordered him to cease his duties as prime minister while it reviews his term limit.

“I will continue to do my duty and responsibility as defence minister for the people and Thailand every day,” Prayuth said on his official Twitter account late on Thursday.

Thai’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday decided to hear a petition brought by the main opposition party arguing that Prayuth’s years spent as the chief of a military junta after he took power in a 2014 coup, should count toward his overall time in office.

The constitution stipulates a term limit of eight years for the prime minister.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan is serving as Acting Prime Minister of Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy.

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The controversy over Prayuth’s term limit is the latest episode in nearly two decades of intermittent political turmoil.

The country has witnessed two coups and violent protests stemming from opposition to military involvement in politics and demands for greater representation as political awareness grows.

A government spokesperson, Anucha Burapachaisri, said on Friday the cabinet continues to function as normal.

Zainab Sa’id