Anutin announced his decision in a post on Facebook late Thursday. “I’d like to return power to the people," he wrote in the post. It is pertinent to note that with the dissolution of the parliament, the elections in the country must be held 45 to 60 days after the royal endorsement, a period during which Anutin will head a caretaker government with limited powers that cannot approve a new budget.
The move comes at a tricky political moment, as Thailand is engaged in large-scale combat with Cambodia over a longstanding border dispute. It is pertinent to note that Anutin has been the prime minister for just three months, succeeding Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who served only a year in office before losing office over a scandal that erupted out of a previous round of border tensions.
A call from Trump is awaited
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is engaged in talks with both Thailand and Cambodia after the US-brokered deal failed to stop fighting between the two nations. After the five days of border fighting in July, Trump pushed the two countries to agree on a ceasefire by threatening to withhold trade privileges from them.
Trump has vowed again to make peace between them after widespread fighting flared up again this week. If he employs the cudgel of high tariffs on Thai exports, should Thailand fail to comply with his peacemaking effort, it could cause serious damage to its already sluggish economy.
The American leader said twice this week he expects to speak by phone with the Thai and Cambodian leaders, expressing confidence that he would persuade them to stop the fighting. On Friday, Anutin confirmed that he is scheduled to speak with Trump on Friday night, saying he would brief him on the latest situation along the border.
As of Thursday, about two dozen people had been reported killed in this week’s fighting, while hundreds of thousands have been displaced on both sides. The Thai military estimates that 165 Cambodian soldiers have been killed, though no number has been officially announced by Phnom Penh.
With inputs from The Associated Press.
