Privy Councilor and Statesman
After political unrest in 1988, Prem dissolved the parliament and called for a general election. Following the general election, leaders of the winning political parties asked Prem to continue his premiership, but Prem refused. Consequently Chatichai Choonhavan, head of Chart Thai Party, was chosen to be the new prime minister.
On 4 September 1998, Prem was appointed to head King Bhumibol Adulyadej's Privy Council, becoming the successor to Sanya Dharmasakti.
During the Black May, bloody political crisis in May 1992, Prem was said to have played a crucial role in ending the military suppression of the demonstrations, consulting with King Bhumibol to end the violence and bloodshed.
Read more about this topic: Prem Tinsulanonda
Famous quotes containing the words privy and/or statesman:
“Before me you are a slug in the sun. You are privy to a great becoming and you recognize nothing. You are an ant in the afterbirth. It is in your nature to do one thing correctly: tremble.”
—Michael Mann, U.S. screenwriter. Frances Dollarhyde, aka “The Tooth Fairy” (Tom Noonan)
“A politician is a man who understands government and it takes a politician to run a government. A statesman is a politician who’s been dead ten or fifteen years.”
—Harry S. Truman (1884–1972)