Thailand’s PM fails to abide by new constitution he ordered drawn up

Former junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha said he will take sole responsibility for he and his cabinet not completing the full oath of allegiance while being sworn in

The oath is required under the Thai constitution, which Prayuth ordered drawn up after scrapping the previous one following 2014’s coup

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Former junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha on the day last month when he was sworn in as prime minister. Photo: AP

Published: 4:50pm, 8 Aug 2019Updated: 4:55pm, 8 Aug 2019

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Thursday he will take sole responsibility for failing to recite the full oath of allegiance when he and his cabinet were sworn in last month.

Prayuth and 35 cabinet ministers pledged their loyalty to King Maha Vajiralongkorn in an official ceremony at the Dusit Palace in Bangkok on July 16, but failed to complete the full oath of allegiance as required by the Thai constitution.

According to section 161 of the constitution, the prime minister and cabinet ministers are required to swear loyalty to the king and to perform duties for the benefit of the country and the people.

Public footage of the ceremony shows Prayuth, who was reading from a piece of paper, and his Cabinet omitting the last sentence of the oath about upholding and complying with the constitution.

“I want to take sole responsibility,” Prayuth said on Thursday at the start of an official meeting televised by state media.

Prayuth Chan-ocha sits with members of his cabinet before delivering a policy statement in Bangkok on July 25. Photo: Reuters

“I am concerned about what to do in order to work, to make everyone continue to work. We have to see what the constitution says but this government will continue to function,” Prayuth said.

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