BANGKOK, Aug 9 (TNA) – A senior minister has rejected
speculation that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has planned to resign after
apologizing for not completing the oath before taking office last month.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said Friday that the
prime minister would not quit and he believed this issue of oath-taking would
be resolved. 
Gen Prayut has been hit with the controversy since the
opposition Future Forward Party accused him of being constitutionally
disqualified because he had failed to complete the wording in last month’s
cabinet swearing-in ceremony.
Leading the Cabinet minister in the oath-taking to His
Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Gen Prayut omitted a phrase – to protect the
constitution – as stated in the Constitution.
The prime minister on Thursday apologized to his Cabinet
members for the ongoing controversy, leading to speculation that he would leave
the office. He also told top state
officials that he would take all the blame for the controversy and he had only
one concern – how to ensure the government could go on working.
Senate Speaker Pornpetch Vichitcholchai commented on Friday
that he saw no sign of Prayut’s resignation and he was confident that there
would be a legal solution to it.
An opposition MP, Chusak Sirinil of Pheu Thai Party, said it
is still unclear how the question of Prayut’s disqualification would be
settled; whether it fell into the authority of the National Ombudsman or the
Constitution Court.
But on Tuesday the Ombudsman decided to examine the
legitimacy of the cabinet’s oath, in response to a petition from an
activist. It is still not determined
whether the petition would be forwarded to the Constitution Court.
The opposition parties have said they would file a motion
for a parliamentary debate on this matter. (TNA)
