pistols were drawn up after president j bill, so narrow stepped up, his attacks on brazil supreme court, an electronic voting system. in july, he told a group of foreign ambassadors that the elections could be easily rigged. balls shobel sonata trailing behind former president with the national ruler, the cfo. the movement in defense of results, democracy rule, over the past weeks, spreading twitter least, 20 state capitals among them. rio de janeiro crowds gathered at universities here in rio in another cities to listen to the manifesto is being read. people here say they must show their unity on the streets to ensure that democracy and the rule of law prevail. monica inactive, al jazeera, rio de janeiro. ah . hello there. this is al jazeera and these are the headlines for me,

u. s. president donald trump says he would welcome the release of the api. i warrant, used to search his florida home. he, attorney general has asked a federal court to unseal the document thing. it's in the public interest. how does your custer has more now from washington? and the washington post is reporting that these classified arguments that trump and his aides are suspected of having illegally removed from the white house when he left office, that they may include top secret documents regarding nuclear weapons. now there is not much details beyond that. we do not know whether these are nuclear weapons possessed by the united states or by another country. and namely, we do not know whether these nuclear documents were recovered. the british government has declared a drought in parts of england and seen it's dry in july since 1935. some regions have already announced water restrictions banding, people from watering lawns or washing cars, where we challenge has moved from london. he's got heat warnings around the country

is not quite as hot as it was last month, but still around 35 degrees. so that's an amber warding for much of the country. and with the dryness comes the warning of fires that have been several wildfires around the country in recent weeks. and they met officer saying that there is an exceptional risk of more to come home in more blazes and france, spain and portugal have made 2022 a record here for wildfires in southwest europe. the satellite monitoring services fires and frans have sent carbon pollution that with the highest level since records began. emergency cruise baffling, a fire. now in the wrong region. it's already destroyed more than $7000.00 heck as a forest. more 5 fighters and equipment from 6 you nations arrived on thursday to help supporters of into and so she li, them looks at the al serra helped held mass prayers in iraq,

capital baghdad. it's now the 3rd week they're being held near parliament and the fortified. greens are and thunder has urge them to keep up their demand for political reform. after months of deadlock, at the end of july, thousands of people stormed parliament and occupied it for several days. while those of the headlines doreen, we'll have more news here off the inside story. ah, he seized power in a coo and later led the government. but thailand's prime minister is under growing pressure to step down. what if he doesn't? could that lead to further unrest? this is inside story. ah

hello and welcome to the program. my mamma jim john thailand has seen political instability since its army chief to power in a coo 8 years ago. he eventually became prime minister, but his faced resistance from many ties who been demanding change. protesters are now calling on private channel chart to resign. students at the university in northern bangkok held protests on wednesday. they called for reforms to the monarchy and the government's resignation. authorities of crackdown and opponents, imposing a nationwide ban on protests in 2014, but many of defied that ban on the years since leading to hundreds of arrests. oh, i love. i think the government don't really care about the people. it's like, we don't exist. it feels like we're being abandoned and left behind. that's why we have come out to voice our concerns and hopefully put for a new government that really cares about its people. come by, didn't i?

lemme tell me that. i think change is inevitable. as the country moves forward, we must rely in our younger generation. these young people are smart, i've seen them since the beginning of the movement leaving no other than that, i think the movement has been very successful. people have been talking about things that have been taboo for a decayed issue is that very swept under the rug. it's no longer a personal struggle, but it's the people's agenda. we have raised the ceiling. as we mentioned prior channel char let, a qu in 2014, that over through a democratically elected government, he then served as prime minister under a military administration until elections in 2019, when he was chosen to remain in power opposition. parties said the process was rig . now the political party channel ch, are over through is seeking a ruling from a constitutional court on whether prior to 5 years as head of a military jointer should count towards his 8 year constitutional term limit. the legal movie is the latest attempt by opposition parties to reverse what they see as

an illegitimate seizure of power. and nearly 2 thirds of ty, voters appear to agree. a recent poll suggest they want prime minister prime channel chart to leave office this month. ah, all right, let's go ahead and bring in our guest. they're all joining us from bangkok. j. donovan. nick is president of the law faculty at the college of asian scholars, the tenant pong silly rock, his professor and director of the institute of security and international studies at chu, long corn university. and soon i wasik is a senior researcher in the asia division of human rights watch a warm welcome to you all. and thanks so much for joining us today on inside story and 13. and let me start with you to day of the p t p, which is the main opposition party in thailand. they're seeking a court ruling to try and in the prime minister's term sooner. they want to see it end up by august 23rd, i believe is the date they're looking for um, could you please explain this legal strategy and the case that they are attempting

to make in the constitutional court or the constitution? so we have an article in the constitution of 2017 a basically impose is a term limit on any prime minister, not to loss in office more than 8 years. so at issue here, mohammed is, is, you know, how do you count it? yes, i think they the opposition party, the various protagonist people who are filing complaints and petitions. they are trying to count to 8 years from the time that prime is a unit of cease power and became prime minister back in 2014 in august on august 24th, 2014. so on august 24th this year. and this would be the time that he would have to leave off. it's now there are different ways of counting when he began some people, his people are saying that that, you know, he should be counted when the constitution was promulgated in july 2017. or when

the elections took place in 2019 went to office then at that time. so different ways of counting the 8. yes. i think that the prime minister he's is popularity. i think he's at a low point and he's been around a long time. people want change, so there's mounting pressure on for him to to step aside to step down for a clean slate that we not reelections. and that's what we're hoping for. i think many people in thailand but on his supporters and his side is the ruling party. are they wanting to last all the way to the next election, which must be cold by march 2023. so now you know, the constitutional court is in the hot seat because he has to decide and remember to mohammed to and you know, our view is that the constitution of court has been deciding in favor of general. but yet, um, through the yes. so for example, in 2000, my teens in july, you know, his cabinets, sworn

a incomplete oath of office. incomplete oath of office, but they got away with it. the constitution of basically said he had not jurisdictions even though it had to deal with the issues of the constitution. and then there were other cases where pretty much jennifer, you'd got his way through the constitutional court through the lesson commission through the anti corruption commission. so there is no reason to doubt this time, that the constitutional court will decide the same way. however, a public pressure is mounting so to the judges will be under a lot of pressure to, to be fair and impartial. jade, um, you know that in on just now you mentioned something that i wanted to ask you about as well, which is the fact that there are different entities a on the political scene in thailand that are, are counting how many years the prime minister has been in office differently and it gets a little confusing. you have some supporters arguing that his premiership began in 2017, which would mean that he could stay in power until 2025. you have others who say

that it began after the 2019 election, which, which means he should be able to stay in power in theory until 2027. from your vantage point, who is right? we're actually earth taking from td. none are facilitating. i was pointing out that there was an article under the constitution which article a $158.00 debt terms to prime minister no more than 8 years. then there's another article, $264.00, which said that the cabinet in office prior to the coming into force of the constitution, the cabinet prior to the constitution is the cabinet and the constitution. that means that the cabinet and has been the cabinet ever since prior to the effective date of the constitution is also the cabinet under the constitution of 2017. so who is within the cabinet? it is the prime minister. ready which is general for you, as well as the other ministers. so counting general pollute,

it has to be counted from 24th august, 2014 on all the way until this year, august the 23rd. then that is be the correct term. as i see counting towards a the, the terms under article 158 as well as linking to article 264. many people were counting that it's thought 2017 because they said that the constitution came into port 6, april 2017. therefore, it has to be counted on that date. but many others counted after a luncheon. when he was appointed by, by is smashed edith king around june, 2019. but for me, the correct interpretation will be that you have to bundle article $158.00 together with $264.00. therefore,

his term and the night the 23rd august of this year up tonight does the effort to remove the prime minister from office, have a lot of public support at this point. and if he is not removed, what happens then? what happens next? well, the sensor dissatisfaction has grown significantly due to a quote before man's and let's not forget that you have no legitimacy from the beginning, because hispanic, to that, or what are you, a democratically elected government. he has no let it may se from the beginning. and now it is a critical challenger. wish he has credential is being question based on concentration rule. and these constitute rule is actually drafted by regular and he is cronies. so if he is, he's, you know, he's found it and is it kind of crumbling upon his own doing so

already that you know, this week there was a resumption all political rally in bangkok, indeed osgood a banker university. and, and there seem to be a, some mission already among crow democracy. can we, is that they are hoping that will be a quick end to regulates to them as cheating on. and they're just saying that, you know, it could come in less than a week from now the of his term come to an end on the 23rd of august. this is very soon. and now they will receive groups are not calling for a new st. croix case, what they're calling for is a free and fair election that will lead to landslide victory, all pro democracy political parties. and that will lead to

a jeannine kind of transition of pile and back to democracy and doing the legacy of military wouldn't undoing to corrine constitutional framework and doing all those in students, institution that have protect it for you from accountability. so these seem to be the day the game plan all. ready im chrissy movements and i live at the moment, sitting on jade just mentioned that there were some protests that happened in the past a few days ago. and you know, there had been many youth lead protests against the prime minister. do you think that we're going to see more going forward? i think yes, we'll definitely see more going forward. i mean, if going forward means a in a months and years ahead. the reason we have protests and will continue to have protests is because people are unhappy. people are unhappy because the political system is unjust, unfair and, and partial to the one side. you know, basically, i mean this, this a controversy and crisis for youth on the 88 year term limit is ironic mohammed

because you know this, this provision was written not against him, not. it was not meant for him. it was meant for his exiled nemesis. someone like tuck, since, you know, what, who was living abroad is, is meant to prevent any individual from dominating electoral politics in thailand. but now that the constitution, the law in thailand now is about power is not about fan, isn't just, this is one who has the power and who holds a power and how to keep power. so i would not be surprised if the constitution, of course, somehow the size, again in general use favor despite a j t in the delta j, as in, than and mr. denies a comments that he last intimacy that this is a violation of the constitution because of the various dynamics and the powers that be, i think that's still behind but yet. so that's why we can see more plots because people see it, especially young people, because you know, they look at their future and it's been, it's been taken hostage by the youth lead regime. and they want to do something

about it. we saw that 2 years ago and we'll see more of it. jade if anger continues to build and, and if the prime minister doesn't either step down or, or if the constitutional court rules in his favor that he can continue to serve. from your vantage point. does that mean that we're looking at the possibility of widespread instability or turmoil? yes, and you see the are now the demonstrators are not only calling on for you to resign . they are calling in 3 prongs. they are calling for a constitutional amendment. secondly, they calling general budget to resign and certainly which is which is not quite stable for the country. and, and i think that may cause a tor mine again because they are calling for reform with him on those 2 other things. the constitution amendment reform, monarchy doesn't have anything to do with general breeding presiding or not. but because generally is not dealing with anything that would be fair and would be seen

from the liberal point. we asked making something impartial and making something a fair and equitable so. so now he's dragging on on and on and in the constitution will be hurt as well as the monarchy. so i think you may see that things will get worse and worse. and after worse, if they stay on you still have another issue about the lacrosse system, that they are trying to drive the electrical system to the carlos system and then to be proportional system they now back to the parlor system. so no one knows what really happened or what they really want. and people were saying that there that there was some parties are making agreement that ok, jennifer, you can stay on, but they want to parlor system because when they hit on to the campaign to the election, they will win drastically there when lance light. so who knows what happened now?

everything will be in clarity. soon i, i want to ask you about another aspect of, of what's going on in thailand right now. just take a step back for a moment. in its 2022 world report human rights watch said, the tie government for the repressed basic rights and crack down on the youth, lead democracy movement in 2021. what is the overall situation in thailand right now when it comes to human rights? well, let's not forget that thailand is still under emergency decree, enforced by general graham. and this emergency decree can be aware of it. to the extent that all exist, all form of the exercise upon the mental freedom. freedom expression assembly association can be totally ban and dissemination information. so fashion or report by my watch can also be ban, hadn't, and unleash, as follows, information on this information. so he has a fairy point him too,

which is jacqueline, in nature, in his hand, already. and he has been using that, that explain why we have hundreds and hundreds of use the high bars our being charged for expressing that opinions. and that is sending wise against the government as, as k. a just say that they had 3 demands. not only those 3 demands about credit resignation in new constitution and reform when i get not only this tree demands have not been met or responded. they are being punished for making such demands. so this is the, the situation of, i'm almost all kind of a human rice landscape that thailand has become a dr. pony and repressive society. and the general i just grew. and how long can people without with these my answer, elliott's people are not going to tolerate this any more that explain why there is their lives to take to the street. there is that future and there's nothing to lose

any more dead. and he did not talk about these youngsters, seeing that it is a fight for their better future to reclaim their rights, to be, to me in their own future. this is why there is being could be high bar there is being beaten up by police being shot at by police officers. charges that can keep them guys barbara decker. this is the reason that this youngster are taking and they see that if now they are pinning their whole that bread you, it will be forced out of the office there be a new election if that expectation are not met. who knows what would happen next to it in on you mentioned, or in your answer a few moments ago you talked a little bit about former prime minister toxin and a and i wanted to, to ask you a little bit about that because you, you wrote a piece entitled, keeping democratic institutions week in which you, you wrote a bit about what had happened to the former prime minister and,

and one of the things you said in this piece was the worst thing one can do in, ty, politics is to run for office and when by a landslide, i just wanted to, to get your perspective on. what exactly that means, what did you mean when you wrote that? and the, the, the, the low cost of power, the way the power works. and these exercise in thailand is not through populum mandate. fundamentally, so you can have elections, you know, you read hat as, you know, 2 military coups over the past 2 decades and 3 constitutions over the last 25 years . we've had the dissolution of major a big political parties imagined in any country. that the major political parties are dissolved less than rides and time and again. so basically this is a way of keeping a democratic institution in parliament, political parties elected representatives, keeping them weak by dissolving the parties by banning politicians. and you know, and doing so allows the traditional institutions of the military, the bureaucracy,

the judiciary, the monarchy, to be strong. so basically is not possible. so fine thailand do have strong democratic institutions because traditional institutions and will read the we assert themselves. and we've seen this time and again with the last 25 years. and we'll probably see some more of it. but there's a kind of a reckoning that i think is coming along because the new demo demographics, younger generations, a, they don't want to put up with this anymore. and you know, we've gone past the cold war. we've had the change of the mona to the new monarch previous moment lasted for 47 decades. so now i think it is kind of a new thailand that the old power center is an unwilling to recognize and accept. and therefore, we have a lot of tension and confrontation, demonstrations protests, and so 5 been suppressed a repress. but over time in the long term, it will be very difficult to avoid and to prevent this kind of reckoning from taking place afterwards. we can only hope that kind of will find some kind of

a compromise for wait for i think if you live, if you listen to the message, the demands of these protests as well. they, they wonder, reform didn't want to revolution. i mean, this is a, in all is good for compromise negotiations. a degrees of separation, very small. so if you can catch some kind of reform, so that the various political players and the political balance is sir, reach it in a new fashion that is satisfactory through young people, all the people, all kinds of people. and that's the way for, for tylen. jade. are there any indications out there? are there any signs of how the military is viewing all that is going on? i think it is observing what is going on right now, but it will take action less a after the election. may say if the election is had, and then afterwards the liberal got the a, the majority of the lower house been dead majority at the lower house might not

break down the prime minister. it is, you have to have also the mad vote from the senate. then if the conservative put together with the, the senate, then day when the liberal pot, people come on the street, the demonstrator, it might be a riot. and then afterwards, the military will take action then, and there may be an acoustic let me ask you also a, since you mentioned the elections, i will the elections actually happen according to the time table. that is, that is laid out as expected. they're gonna happen in march of 20. 202023. do you think that's going to be the case? i might not be in march because march will be at the ending of the term of the parliament. then around 60 days as 30 the ending. okay. no more than that, $45.00 days, depending on whether or not the problem is the solved. if the parliament is the sock, then you have 60 days. if the parliament is ends with the actual terms,

then he will be $45.00 days. so march is the ending of a 24 march. okay, so 24th march. as the new content from there, $45.00 days, there will be the election. and then after that then they arctic situation may be occurring soon. i am. are you getting any, any indications that the cracks are emerging in, in the ruling coalition? and, and do you think that there's any chance that the prime minister might stepped out well for you is i thing he is the, to me in to, to stay on. and 1st of all, he believe that or you know, against all the fast, he believed that he is the, the holder of, of national unity and stability. which i totally disagree. and is the cause of the vision is the cause of discontent. ah, but he seems to think otherwise and, and he thinks that he has to stay on the power for the sake of the nation. but

people think differently, of course. and another thing is pallana going to horse d a p meeting later this year. and for you, it is something that he want to leave the high as he is a personal legacy that you know, he who is not, no one to have any kind of credential in diplomacy in international religion. managed to be the primary of thailand at the time of a meeting and meeting all hosting. whoa leaders. so this is something that you want to heave. so he will kind of bang every thing on the decision of the constitutional court, which up until now has been partial and making decision in practice fair. we're all along. so his banking, his hopes in that basket, that the soon i also, and i may or i'm sorry to interrupt when we can or should i,

we only have about a minute left to just very quickly want to ask you from your perspective, do you think that elections are going to be happening early next year. well, election is, it has to happen what it is, way. elation will have to happen. i long thing, the military won't dare to stage a coup, otherwise they will face with the fierce resistance formed at high population. we are now being the fiesta in the region. we're our proven, they are being both being curation and taking to the street over the past 3 years and there was see something much bigger if the military there to stage a coup or someone there to the rail. the. com ly off the next election. all right, we're, we have run out of time to we're going to have to leave the conversation there. thanks so much. all of our guests. j. donovan, nick, turn it on pong. so iraq and soon i passion and thank you for watching. you can see the program again any time by visiting our website al jazeera dot com,

and for further discussion, go to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash ha inside story. you can also join the conversation on twitter or handle as an e. j. inside stored from him, i met him german, the whole team here, bye for now. ah ah. and the health of humanity is at stake. a global pandemic requires a global response. w h o is the guardian of global health delivering life saving

tools, supplies, and training to help the world's most vulnerable people, uniting across board is to speed up the development of tests, treatments, and vaccine keeping you up to date with what's happening on the ground. in the world and in the lab. now more than ever, the world needs w h l, making a healthy a world for you. for every one. ah ah.

safe that mm hm. and then international anti corpse excellence award boat. now for your hero, revealing eco friendly solutions to come back dress to our planet on al jazeera. ah, this is al jazeera, i'm darlene obligate with a check on your world headlines. former u. s. president donald trump says he won't oppose the public.