Thai court removes PM Srettha over ethical breach in cabinet selection
Aug 14, 2024
Bangkok [Thailand], August 14 : On Wednesday, August 14, Thailand's Constitutional Court removed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office due to his appointment of a former lawyer who had served jail time, signalling potential further political instability and possible reconfiguration of the ruling coalition, reported Channel News Asia.
Srettha, a real estate mogul, became the fourth Thai prime minister in the past 16 years to be ousted by the court, which found that he breached the constitution by choosing a minister who did not meet ethical standards.
His dismissal, after less than a year in office, means that parliament will need to meet to select a new prime minister, raising the possibility of increased uncertainty in a country plagued by coups and judicial decisions that have repeatedly toppled governments and political parties over the past two decades.
Just last week, the same court dissolved the anti-establishment Move Forward Party (MFP), a popular opposition group, ruling that its efforts to reform a law against insulting the monarchy threatened the constitutional monarchy. The MFP reformed under a new name on Friday, CNA reported.
Srettha's Pheu Thai Party, along with its predecessors, has been at the centre of Thailand's political turmoil, with two of its administrations removed by coups in an ongoing conflict between the party's founders, the Shinawatra family, and their conservative and royalist military opponents.
The court's ruling could disrupt a fragile peace between political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra and his conservative and military adversaries, which facilitated Shinawatra's return from 15 years in exile in 2023 and Srettha's ascent to the premiership on the same day.
Srettha defended his appointment of former Shinawatra lawyer Pichit Chuenban, who was briefly imprisoned for contempt of court in 2008 over an alleged bribery attempt, arguing that it was legitimate. The bribery claim was never substantiated, and Pichit resigned in May, reported CNA.
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai is anticipated to serve as the interim prime minister.
