General Prem & cabinet pledging allegiance to king & country before taking office (ฏิญาณ, oath, pledge, vow, promise)
PREMOCRACY 1980-88
Thai politics during 1980-88 was widely seen as " semi- democratic ". Gen Prem Tinsulanonda began his long premiership in March 1980 as the army chief andunelected prime minister, with firm army backing.
Over the course of his stable semi- democratic rule, Gen Prem presided over fivecoalition governments and three elections, in 1983, 1986 and 1988.
After the latter election, he called it quits and soon thereafter joined the Privy Council, eventually rising to be its president.
The Prem era was an arrangement whereby elected politicians and political parties could contest polls and divide up line ministries. Gen Prem, however, retainedcontrol of the defence, interior (interior ministry) and finance (finance ministry)portfolios.