Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan (Source: nationmultimedia.com)

Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan on May 19 ruled out the possibility of resigning amid rising pressure from anti-government protesters on him to step down.

In a statement following his meeting with members of the Senate, Boonsongphaisan said the current cabinet is legal, and it must stay until a new cabinet is elected. He added that another PM cannot be appointed while an acting one is in place.

The Senate, the only remaining legislative body in Thailand (the House of Representatives was dissolved last December to prepare for election), said it could select an interim PM, but it wants the caretaker government to step down first.

Meanwhile, anti-government protesters said they will hold mass rallies this week to topple the current government.

The prolonged political crisis made Southeast Asia’s second largest economy face a decrease in its growth rate, staying at only 2.1 percent in the first quarter of this year.

VNA