Minister:Caretaker PM must stay in office until new Thai government is formed

BANGKOK, March 5 (TNA) - Caretaker Justice Minister Chaikasem Nitisiri insists that Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra must stay in office until a new Thai government is formed. Chaikasem made the remarks on Wednesday, following reports that Suthep Thaugsuban, secretary-general of the anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), plans to seek the Constitution Court's ruling on whether it is legal for Yingluck to remain in her posts after the House of Representatives could not convene within 30 days in the wake of the February 2 general election. According to the Thai Charter, the Lower House must convene within 30 days after a general election and elected MPs must vote for a prime minister within another 30 days thereafter. However, it seems now that it is impossible to have a new Thai prime minister within the due course specified in the Constitution because the general election remains incomplete caused by anti-government protests. Defending that Yingluck must stay in office along with the caretaker government, Chaikasem argued that a different article in the Charter was raised by the PDRC chief in his bid to oust the caretaker administration. The caretaker justice minister explained that the caretaker prime minister must leave only by the Constitution Court's order. Asked whether it is possible to hold elections for both MPs and senators on the same day, the caretaker justice minister noted that the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) has its full authority to make the decision and the quicker the elections are held, the faster a new government can be formed. (TNA)