BANGKOK, Jan 10 — Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan o-cha is seeking another term in office and will continue his work improving the country – under a new party banner.
The 68-year-old junta leader, who has been in power since a coup in 2014 and later elected as Prime Minister in 2019, formally joined Ruam Thai Sang Chart (United Thai Nation Party or UTN) on Monday to run in a general election, which is due to be held before May this year.
“I am here not because of power but there is unfinished work… the country has to move forward,” he told 10,000 people at the launching of UTN election campaign on Monday.
Prayuth promised to fix issues including corruption, rising living costs, and poverty.
He is seeking another term in the upcoming general election despite his eight-year term limit as Prime Minister coming to an end in 2025.
In September, the Constitutional Court ruled that Prayuth is eligible to remain in office until 2025.
The Court ruled that he had been premier since 2017 when the current constitution that bars a person from serving as prime minister beyond eight years became effective.
In December, Prayuth announced that he left the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) that leads the current government coalition and he would seek a third term as prime minister under the UTN banner.
Thailand’s next general election is due by May 7 if the House of Representatives completes its full four-year term that expires on coming March 23.
In case the House is dissolved before March 23, the EC will hold a general election at least 45 days after the dissolution and not more than 60 days after the dissolution, according to Section 103 of the Constitution.
In the upcoming election, UTN must secure at least 25 of 500 seats to be able to nominate Prayuth as its candidate. The House of Representative will vote for a prime minister among candidates nominated by parties.
