Thailand’s Constitutional Court has suspended Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha until it rules on a petition filed by opposition parties, Japan’s Nikkei Asia reported on Wednesday.
This comes after the court accepted the Thai opposition’s petition on the expiration of the maximum term of office of PM Prayut Chan-ocha. Five out of nine judges voted for the prime minister’s suspension. The opposition filed the petition with the court on Monday.
Prayuth first awarded himself the prime minister post in 2014, after staging a military coup, the report said.
Thailand’s military-drafted constitution was promulgated in 2017 after a referendum that limits prime ministers to eight years in office cumulatively.
The opposition argues that Prayuth’s years as premier started in August 2014, when he received the royal endorsement signed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Meanwhile, the ruling party contends that Prayuth’s term started in 2019 when he was elected to the premiership after the first general election held under the latest constitution.