Prayut assumed the role of prime minister after a military coup in 2014 before winning a disputed general election in 2019. Meanwhile, he ordered the kingdom’s constitution to be rewritten, barring the prime minister from serving more than eight years in office. But the question now is whether Prayut has breached his own limit. Earlier this week, the court accepted a petition signed by 172 opposition lawmakers that claims Prayut’s rule began in 2014, when he took power in a coup. The court will also likely consider whether his term officially began in 2017, when the constitution was rewritten, or even in 2019, after the election. Five of the constitutional court’s nine judges agreed on Wednesday that Prayut should be suspended while the court considers the matter, but did not provide a timetable for the decision. The court gave Prayut 15 days to file an objection on why he should keep his position once it officially receives the court document. In a statement, Prayut’s office said it respected the court’s decision. The order “will not affect the administration of the nation, the work performed by civil servants or the ongoing policies of the government,” the statement said.

Who is in charge now?

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan will take over as prime minister while the court considers its final verdict, government spokeswoman Anucha Burapachaisri told reporters on Wednesday. Prawit himself is a former army chief and longtime supporter of the Thai monarchy. New elections are due in May next year under the constitution, but the sitting prime minister still has the power to call early elections by dissolving the elected House of Representatives. Prayut has survived four no-confidence votes in recent months and appeared poised to stay in power until the election, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University. But critics say it’s time for him to go. “There’s been some economic mismanagement, politics is still polarized, because in the last eight years since he’s been prime minister — or since he’s been called prime minister — Thailand hasn’t done well,” Titinan said. While the youth-led protests appear to have slowly stalled, he said this was because some of the movement’s leaders had been prosecuted and grievances against Prayut’s government remained.

Prayut’s rule as military coup leader-turned-prime minister has been marred by growing authoritarianism and widening inequality. The former army chief took power in a bloodless coup in 2014 that toppled Yingluck Shinawatra’s scandal-ridden government after six months of civil unrest and violent street protests. But shortly after taking power, Prayut banned all political campaigning, including political gatherings of more than five People. During his leadership, hundreds of activists have been arrested and charged under draconian laws such as sedition or lese majeste — which prohibits criticism of the royal family. In 2020, young people across the country have defied threats from the military-backed government in the streets and are calling for Prayut’s resignation. The mass protests stemmed from failed promises to restore democracy and what activists say is a crackdown on civil rights and freedoms. The military government’s mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic and the economy, nepotism and a lack of transparency and accountability have also fueled calls for Prayut’s resignation. Dissatisfaction with the kingdom’s military government and monarchy continued into 2021. King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who took the throne in 2016 and was crowned in May 2019, is believed to spend much of his time abroad and has been largely absent from public life in Thailand as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. Since he became king, billions of dollars worth of assets held by the Thai Crown have been transferred to Vajiralongkorn, asserting his control over the royal finances and greatly increasing his personal fortune, which has angered the public who are expected to respect the monarchy. CNN’s Helen Regan contributed reporting.