Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced on Monday that the country's military government has finally passed away and it has given birth to a new democracy. However, the PM asked his people to be patient while the new government establishes its functions and authorities.
According to the Bangkok Post, Prayut requested patience from the Thai people, noting that the new government doesn't have special powers yet at this point. He explained that the democratic administration will be slower in responding to the public until everything has been established.
During his speech, Prayut made it clear that under the democratic government, the rights of people in Thailand will be governed by the constitution. He said democracy will be preserved and exercised instead of relying on special authorities that the previous military regime was founded on.
"All sides have to learn to co-exist peacefully, exercise patience, restraint, avoid conflict, be sensible and disciplined and respect the voice of the majority," he said.
While military power will no longer be above Thailand's government, Prayut acknowledged the achievements of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). He said both the NCPO and the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) will cooperate in harmony to lead the new government.
Thailand was under military rule for the past five years. With Prayut's re-election and his decision to relinquish his throne as the military government's head on Monday, hopes are up for the economy to gradually recover.
While the PM continues to face criticism for his new administration, he insisted that Thailand "is now a fully democratic country." He said this is proven by the fact that the parliament's members were elected and not chosen under special powers.
Prayut used his military powers for the last time last week when he lifted several restrictions on the Thai media. While he retained the power of arrests to stay unchallenged, he gave up civilian case jurisdiction to Thailand's civilian court.
For over a decade, Thailand experienced political distress and even violence as military coups were rampant and backed by political forces. This is why many Thai locals are unsure of how to react to Prayut's latest declaration.
Meanwhile, the prime minister confirmed that he will support a charter change. However, it is unclear how the new administration will go about with amending the 2017 Thai constitution since there are reportedly some members of the coalition who are unsure about the plan.
Thailand has yet to wait for a confirmation on the proposed charter change if it ever comes into fruition. It is also unclear if the change will be part of the democratic government's policy statement.
