BANGKOK, 27 May 2014 – Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha asserted after receiving royal appointment to the post of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) that he was not aiming to gain power with the coup, but the objective was to prevent conflicts from escalating in the country.
General Prayuth explained on Monday that the NCPO now had full authority in country administration and that during the immediate period, such administration will be carried out by military officials who will coordinate with other state agencies. He also asked that everyone take caution regarding the regulations currently enforced.
Gen. Prayuth indicated the NCPO had assigned work to the permanent secretaries of each ministry, for them to perform in place of ministers, but any actions that were beyond the power vested in the permanent secretary would have to first be approved by the NCPO chief.
According to Gen. Prayuth, the main mission of the NCPO is to maintain order in the country, and the council will be making reforms in issues that brought about the earlier conflicts, before it leads the country toward democracy.
Asked when an election can take place, Gen. Prayuth said the situation must return to normal first, but he was willing to work to make this happen as soon as possible.
