EDITORIAL: PM must heed democracy

After facing pressure from the opposition to explain his incomplete oath recital, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has come up with a new strategy to deal with the hot-button issue concerning the legitimacy of his government: Running away from it.

Since the oath gaffe took place two weeks ago, Future Forward Party secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul and other opposition lawmakers have repeatedly demanded that Gen Prayut explain to the House of Representatives why he omitted the last sentence of the oath, which is a vow to protect and abide by the constitution. But the premier has skipped House sessions twice, and he has not tried to explain his absence.

While it is unclear exactly what he is afraid of, his absence demonstrates his lack of respect for the democratic process. Gen Prayut himself has denied that he skipped the sessions out of disrespect for the House, saying people should allow the legal process to take its course when the Office of the Ombudsman rules on the issue on Aug 27.

He misses the point. The Office of the Ombudsman’s ruling may clarify the legal aspect as to whether the oath recital is constitutional and if his administration is legitimate, and may then pass the issue on to the Constitutional Court for further consideration. However, Gen Prayut still has a duty to clarify the matter to the House and, in that way, be accountable to the people.

Under Section 150 of the constitution, he and any ministers who have been asked to clarify any matter concerning them in the parliament must attend House sessions to answer any questions personally. They can only recuse themselves from the process if addressing the matter may jeopardise national security or undermine public interests.

Additionally, parliament’s regulations allow them to postpone their attendance at parliamentary sessions if they have another, unprecedented emergency to handle, but they must notify the House in writing about such circumstances and then have their sessions rescheduled.

According to House Speaker Chuan Leekpai, the premier has not notified the House about the reason for Gen Prayut’s absence.

As a former coupmaker and former head of the military government, Gen Prayut may be uncomfortable with the democratic process. This was evident during the House debate on the government’s policy manifesto last month when the premier became frustrated and defensive when he was grilled, challenged or criticised by the opposition.

As an elected premier, he cannot run away from dealing with sensitive issues in the House. By answering questions or regularly attending House sessions, he can become better informed of public issues. If he had just given an explanation about the incomplete oath, the issue could already have been put to rest.

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The opposition yesterday filed a motion for a general debate, not just over the incomplete oath, but also on his policy statement which he delivered last month. His statement did not elaborate on the sources of income to implement government policies, as required by the constitution.

If Gen Prayut still refuses to answer questions in the debate, the opposition will take further legal action over constitutional violations and seek a censure debate. There is no need for Gen Prayut to let himself go down that path. Somebody needs to tell him to go back to the House and answer all the questions in a straightforward manner. After all, this is the democratic process he signed up for.