Opposition parties are challenging the qualifications of General Prayut Chan-o-cha as prime minister, citing his status as head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) which, they claim, is equivalent to “other state official”.

A petition, signed by 101 MPs from the seven opposition parties, was today submitted to House Speaker Chuan Leekpai asking the Constitutional Court to rule whether General Prayut is qualified to be prime minister.

If the Prime Minister is ruled by the charter court to have the status of “other state official”, his premiership will come to an end in accordance with Section 170 (4) of the Constitution, said the opposition in the motion. Pheu Thai MP Cholnan Srikaew, who submitted the petition, told the media today that the Election Commission had not clearly ruled on General Prayut’s status.

Meanwhile, the opposition’s motion for the lower House to set up a panel to check the senator selection process was rejected by Deputy House Speaker Supachai Phosu. He explained that the charter specifies clearly that the senator selection process is the prerogative of the NCPO and, hence, the lower House cannot interfere.