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More than 90% of people who participated in the “People’s Voice” digital poll do not think that General Prayut Chan-o-cha should stay as premier after his 8-year term limit.
374,063 voted on the poll which was launched by a network of academics from 8 universities and 8 digital media outlets. The poll was open between August 20 and 21 and it was conducted via QR-code where one phone number is equal to one vote.
348,511 votes or 93.17% do not agree that Prayut should stay in power for more than 8 years. A total of 374,063 people participated in the survey.
It came after opposition parties filed a petition last Wednesday for House Speaker Chuan Leekpai to ask the Constitutional Court to rule on Prayut’s premiership term limit.
The opposition believes that Prayut’s term should be counted since he came into power via the coup that he led in 2014. This means that his term limit will come to an end next week on August 24.
Prayut’s supporters disagree, they believe that Prayut’s term should be counted from April 7, 2017, when the current charter came into effect.
Another interpretation is that Prayut’s term should be counted after the previous general election in March 2019.
It is now up to the court to decide whether Prayut can continue to be premier after August 24.
The Constitutional Court is set to meet on Wednesday and could deliberate on this issue on that very day.
Over the weekend, many protest groups including the student-led pro-democracy group the Ratsadon and the anti-Prayut group Khana Lom Ruam Prachachon have demanded for the general to resign before the court’s verdict to avoid further social and political conflict.
They also demanded for the Constitutional Court to make its ruling on his 8-year term limit on August 24 and for parliament to amend the junta-drafted charter to get rid of the junta-appointed senate’s power to vote for a prime minister before the next election.
More protest is expected if Prayut refused to resign over the coming days or if the court decided that he can stay in power after August 24.