The possibility that Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha will remain as prime minister until 2025 was under discussion on Tuesday, after a document believed to be from Meechai Ruchuphan, former chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC), indicated that Gen Prayut’s eight-year tenure as prime minister began in 2017.
According to the written statement released on social media, Gen Prayut’s tenure started on April 6, 2017, the day the current constitution took effect. Therefore, Gen Prayut’s prime ministerial status before that date would not apply.
However, media reports noted that Mr Meechai’s previously released documents on the prime minister’s tenure was incomplete and not verified.
On Aug 24, the Constitutional Court suspended Gen Prayut from his leadership position as the opposition asked it to rule on his eight-year term. The opposition and opponents of Gen Prayut argued that his term should end on Aug 24, because he was installed as prime minister on Aug 24, 2014, under the provisional constitution enforced after he led the coup on May 22, 2014.
Mr Meechai is among the three people whose statements were needed by the charter court in the process of its ruling on Gen Prayut's tenure in office. Others are Gen Prayut and former CDC secretary Pakorn Nilprapunt.
The court was expected to consider the issue this Thursday.
Gen Prayut is now working in his concurrent capacity as the defence minister, with Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon serving as the acting prime minister pending the court's ruling.
Last month, Gen Prawit had said he hoped Gen Prayut would remain as prime minister for two more years.
In 2014, Gen Prayut outlined a bold new vision to turn Thailand into a developed country by 2025.
Mr Meechai was unavailable for any confirmation of the media reports on Tuesday.
Maj Gen Veera Rojanavas, one of the advisers to the prime minister, said on Tuesday that he did not expect the Constitutional Court to quickly reach its ruling this Thursday.
Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Gen Prayut’s issue would not pose any problem, and the government would complete its normal term on March 22 next year.