Thai PM Prayuth vows to stay on despite calls for him to quit

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Tuesday dismissed calls from opposition parties to resign at a parliament session he had called to discuss months of protests demanding his departure and reforms to the powerful monarchy.

"I will not run away from problems. I will not leave my duty by resigning at a time when the country has problems," the former army general told the assembly.

Protests that have brought tens of thousands of people to the streets since mid-July are the biggest challenge in years to an establishment that has long been dominated by military close to the Royal Palace.

Police in riot gear stand guard at the German embassy before protesters are set to arrive for an anti-government rally in Bangkok, October 26, 2020. /AFP Photo

King Maha Vajiralongkorn's Palace has made no comment since the start of protests that have smashed a taboo on criticising the monarchy.

Opposition members of parliament told Prayuth to stop hiding behind proclamations of loyalty to the monarchy and step down. His critics say he engineered last year's elections to keep power he seized in 2014. He says the ballot was fair.

One of the protest leaders, Tattep "Ford" Ruangprapaikitseree, dismissed the parliament session as "useless."

Prayuth said he had agreed to set up committees to study the problems, but referring to the protesters, he said: "I don't know whom I should talk to as there are no leaders. They are all leaders."

A supporter of the Thai monarchy displays images of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Queen Suthida and late King Bhumibol Adulyadej during a rally at Lumphini park in central Bangkok, Thailand, October 27, 2020. /AP

Some of the highest profile leaders are among dozens of people arrested this month in a crackdown under a week of emergency measures that were called off after they sparked much bigger protests.

Shows of support by royalists have so far been far smaller than those of anti-government protesters.

More than 1,000 gathered in yellow shirts in a central Bangkok park on Tuesday. The prime minister's office shared an image of the demonstration on Twitter.

Protesters have accused the king of political involvement and marched to the German embassy on Monday to seek an inquiry into whether he exercised his powers during long stays in Germany, something Berlin has said would be unacceptable.

(Cover image via Reuters)

Source(s): Reuters