Thailand's prime minister came under fire Wednesday in parliamentary debate for having omitted a key phrase when taking his oath of office in July, but dodged opposition demands that he explain why he left it out.
Prayuth Chan-ocha's failure to include a sentence swearing allegiance to the constitution when he led his Cabinet in taking the oath of office in front of King Maha Vajiralongkorn has raised questions about the legitimacy of his government.
The opposition demanded that Prayuth resign in addition to explaining why he did not recite the full oath.
Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha answers a question at parliament in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019. Prayuth has come under fire in a parliamentary debate because he omitted a key phrase in taking his oath of office in July, but dodged opposition demands to explain why he had left it out. (AP PhotoSakchai Lalit)
Prayuth attended much of Wednesday's debate, but when he spoke, he addressed only budget matters and not the oath-taking.
He told reporters afterward that it was his right not to respond to the oath question.
Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, the government's chief legal expert, responded to the opposition by saying the king had acknowledged the oath, which indicated it was valid because the matter was between the Cabinet and the monarch.
Thailand Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, left, listens as Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha answers a question at parliament in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019. Prayuth has come under fire in a parliamentary debate because he omitted a key phrase in taking his oath of office in July, but dodged opposition demands to explain why he had left it out. (AP PhotoSakchai Lalit)
He mentioned a royal message, released in late August but dated the day of the oath-taking, encouraging the Cabinet ministers to perform their duties according to the oath they swore. The message, he indicated, was a sign of royal approval.
His statement closely echoed a statement from the Constitutional Court, which earlier this month was asked to rule on complaints forwarded by the state ombudsman from two citizens who charged that Prayuth's failure to pledge allegiance to the constitution was a breach of the charter, which requires the full oath.
The court, however, said it lacked jurisdiction because the oath was a matter between the executive branch and the king, and also mentioned the royal message of encouragement.
Invoking the king's support provides a political shield because the monarchy is treated as an untouchable institution in Thailand. A tough lese majeste law provides penalties of up to 15 years in prison for insulting the royal family.
The opposition nevertheless tried to press its contention that Prayuth had failed to carry out his duty properly.
Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, a prominent member of the opposition Future Forward Party, said Prayuth should resign "to show political responsibility for the matter of incomplete oath recitation, to uphold the constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, to uphold the democratic system under the king, and to allow the Kingdom of Thailand to have a leader with dignity who is an honor to the country, to the head of the state, and to its people."
Prayuth won another challenge Wednesday when the Constitutional Court ruled that he was not a state official when he took office as prime minister.
Prayuth, then army commander, led a military coup that overthrew an elected government in 2014. He then led the junta that replaced it and later took the position of prime minister.
State officials are not allowed under the law to concurrently serve as prime minister.
Prayuth became prime minister again after a general election in March this year that was held under laws the military regime wrote to favor its political allies.
DETROIT (AP) — The Oakland Athletics no longer have to wonder where they'll play the next few seasons. That won't make the long goodbye any easier.
The A's reacted to the announcement that this will be their last year in Oakland with a mixture of sadness and relief.
“At least as a player, you know where you’re headed,” outfielder Seth Brown said Friday before a game against the Tigers in Detroit. “There’s obviously a lot of moving parts, a lot of stuff we’re not privy to, so it’s just been kind of a waiting game on our end. Where are we going to go? Where are we going to be? So I think just having that knowledge -- at least we know where we’re going to be playing next year.”
Vivek Ranadivé, who owns the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher announced Thursday that the A’s will temporarily relocate to West Sacramento's Sutter Health Park for at least three seasons. The A's are moving to Las Vegas after a new ballpark is constructed.
The River Cats, who are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, will continue to play at the same facility.
Fisher was unable to reach an agreement with Oakland city officials on extending the lease at Oakland Coliseum, which expires at the end of this season. The A's have played in the city since 1968.
“There's direction now, which we've talked a lot about,” Oakland A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “We've got time to kind of reflect on what this really means from an organizational standpoint, the history that we've had in Oakland, with this being now the final season. There's a lot of emotion that goes behind this.”
It will not only cause some upheaval for the players and staff but also members of the organization that work behind the scenes.
“At the end of the day, we know where we're going to be for the next three seasons after the finish this year and that in itself gives a little bit of stability,” Kotsay said. “At the same time, in the present, it's challenging in certain ways to think about the finality of this organization in Oakland.”
Sacramento will be a much smaller environment to house a major league team. Ranadivé said the River Cats venue currently seats 16,000 when counting the stands, the lawn behind center field and standing room only.
First baseman Ryan Noda is concerned with the facilities. He's hopeful that significant upgrades will be made, much like the Toronto Blue Jays did at Buffalo's Triple-A facility. The Blue Jays played at Buffalo's Sahlen Field in 2020 in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“New walls, new dugouts, new locker rooms — everything they needed to become a big league stadium,” said Noda, who played some games in Sacramento as a minor leaguer. “As long as we can do something like that, then it'll be all right. But it's definitely going to be different than playing in stadiums that hold 40,000 people.”
Kotsay is confident the upgrades will occur.
“I know it will be of major league baseball quality,” he said. “It's has to be of major league baseball quality. I know the Players Association will make sure that takes place, as they did in Buffalo.”
For the rest of this season, the A's will have to deal with small home crowds and disappointed fans.
“We’re sad for the fans, the diehard fans, who always come to our games, always support us, always support the boys wearing the jersey,” Noda said.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, center, shakes hands John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics, before the start of a news conference where Fisher announced his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4 2024.The A's announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics baseball team, announces that his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. The A's announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Sutter Health Park, home of the Triple A team Sacramento River Cats, is shown in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. The Oakland Athletics announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay walks to the dugout after making a pitching change during the eighth inning of the team's baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
