BANGKOK, Feb 12 — Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, also chief of the National Council for Peace and Order, said he did not tell Japanese media he would stage another coup but he only explained why he had seized the national administration on May 22 last year.
Referring to his interview during his visit to Tokyo from Sunday through Tuesday, Gen Prayut said he did not mean he would carry out a new coup if the nation faced another round of serious conflicts.
Clarifying his statement, he said oly that the country had faced protests against the elected government and had entered a dead end, so the armed forces were forced to take control.
After the new constitution is complete, there will be a general election, he reasserted.
After the new constitution and new rules are in place, political parties will be convinced to accept them, Gen Prayut said. The persuasion is the responsibility of the National Reform Council and the Constitution Drafting Committee.
The new constitution and new rules are aimed at preventing conflict in the country and the reform roadmap of his government foresees the next general election taking place in early 2016, the prime minister said.
If the nation progresses after the next election without the recurrence of past problems, Gen Prayut said, then he will consider that his duty has ended.
He said he could not foresee if there would be another coup in the future because that would depend on all people's contribution to the nation after the next election and the establishment of the next government.
"I do not want to see any more conflict or violence. It is impossible to have conflicting parties sign a truce agreement and promise there will not be a protest or violence after the election. I have no duty to do that. If I call all political parties to sign a pact to accept the constitution and refrain from causing a conflict, I will be blamed for exercising power to force them and violating human rights. That is not right. The duty rests with the constitution drafters. Today I only exercise martial law to ensure peace in the country," the prime minister said. (MCOT online news)
