[1/3]Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha leaves after a cabinet meeting before his term ends next week at Government House in Bangkok, Thailand March 14, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
BANGKOK, July 11 (Reuters) – Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha announced his retirement from politics on Tuesday, nine years after taking power in a military coup, and vowed stay on top only temporarily.
His announcement was long-awaited after his military-backed United Thai Nation party was trounced in the May 14 election, in which it won just 36 of the House’s 500 seats. He will remain interim prime minister until a new government is formed.
The former army chief, a staunch royalist, ran a junta until the 2019 election and was elected by parliament to remain prime minister for another four years, an outcome his opponents insist was predetermined.
Prayuth, 69, has denied this and said on Tuesday that he had “achieved many successes”.
“I as the prime minister have worked hard to protect the nation, the religion, the monarchy for the benefit of the beloved people. Currently the result is paying off for the public,” he said in a statement.
“I have tried to strengthen the country in all areas for stability and peace and have overcome many obstacles at the national and international levels.” me
In the nine years since his coup, Prayuth has survived multiple challenges through court cases, House confidence votes and street protests from opponents who saw him as an opportunist who lacked a public mandate.
His announcement comes as the new parliament prepares to meet on Thursday to hold a vote on who will be the next prime minister, an outcome far from certain.
Report by Panu Wongcha-um; Written by Martin Petty; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor
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