The Constitutional Court will convene on Thursday and may make a ruling on the issue of suspended prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's tenure if the judges are in agreement, after receiving statements from Gen Prayut and two legal experts.
The court on Monday scheduled a special meeting on Sept 8, with the eight-year term limit of Gen Prayut on the agenda.
It called the special sitting after receiving separate statements from Gen Prayut, Meechai Ruchupan, who chaired the charter drafting committee, and Pakorn Nilprapunt, the secretary-general of the Council of State, which is the government's legal advisory body. Mr Pakorn is a former secretary-general of the charter drafting committee.
Gen Prayut's legal advisers submitted his statement to the court on Thursday, arguing that the starting date of his tenure was not Aug 24, 2014. Mr Meechai and Mr Pakorn also offered their opinions on a later date. Their submission details were not disclosed.
Media outlets reported that the court will consider the statements and other evidence and will make a ruling if the judges have no doubts. If the court needs more evidences, it will not hand down a ruling, they reported.
Gen Prayut was suspended from duty on Aug 24 this year until the court rules on his term.
The opposition wing has asked the court to clarify the term limit of Gen Prayut, submitting their request through Parliament President Chuan Leekpai.
Section 158 of the 2017 Constitution says: "The Prime Minister shall not hold office for more than eight years in total, whether or not holding consecutive terms. However, it shall not include the period during which the Prime Minister carries out duties after vacating office."
That leaves his period as prime minister open to debate.
Aug 24, 2014 was the day Gen Prayut began work as prime minister under the 2014 provisional constitution, three months after leading a military coup.
Others argue that his first day in office was April 6, 2017 when the present charter was enacted, while Gen Prayut's supporters say his Day One was June 9, 2019 when he became the prime minister after the general election in March under the 2017 constitution.
During the period of Gen Prayut's suspension, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon is the caretaker prime minister.
