BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who served nearly 9 years in workplace after seizing energy in a 2014 army coup, stated Tuesday that he's leaving politics.

His announcement got here after the political social gathering for which he served as a chief minister candidate this 12 months completed fifth in May’s common election, capturing simply 36 seats within the 500-member House of Representatives.

Prayuth, 69, a former military commander, made the announcement on the Facebook web page of Ruam Thai Sang Chart, or the United Thai Nation Party. He had been their nominee to return as prime minister.

“I would like to announce my retirement from politics by resigning as a member of United Thai Nation,” Prayuth wrote. “I’d like to ask the party leader, executives and members to continue their political activities with a strong ideology of protecting the institutions, the nation, the religion and the monarchy, and take care of the Thai people.”

Parliament on Thursday is because of choose a brand new prime minister. The nominee from the top-running, progressive Move Forward Party who has assembled a majority coalition of eight events with 312 seats within the Lower House, should win a majority vote of no less than 376 of the mixed vote of the House and the non-elected Senate, which has 250 members. Because of political variations with the conservative Senate, it's unsure that the social gathering’s chief, Pita Limjaroenrat, can get accepted.

After serving as prime minister within the unelected army authorities that got here to energy within the 2014 coup, Prayuth was returned to the job after the 2019 election as a candidate of the army-backed Palang Pracharath Party. Prime ministers don't should be Members of Parliament, and Prayuth didn’t contest the polls in 2019 or this 12 months.

Had Prayuth been returned to workplace this 12 months, he would solely have been capable of serve two extra years below constitutional time period limits. He was already certainly one of Thailand’s longest-serving prime ministers.

Prayuth didn't specify a motive for leaving politics however listed what he thought-about his accomplishments in workplace and stated: “In these past nine years, I as prime minister have worked with my full determination and strength to protect the nation, the religion and the monarchy, and for the best interest of the beloved people.”

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