By Thai Newsroom Reporters
PRIME MINISTER SRETTHA Thavisin might possibly fail to address the House of Representatives on the 2025 budget legislation next Wednesday if suspended by court from doing his duties with immediate effect a day earlier.
The Pheu Thai-attached prime minister could possibly be immediately suspended at an order of the Constitutional Court from doing his duties as of June 18, pending a court ruling on an impeachment lawsuit filed by 40 senators against him, thus rendering his failure to address the House on the 3.75 trillion baht budget bill scheduled for June 19.
In the wake of such possibility, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, known as a right-hand man for de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra, might probably be named an acting prime minister for a period of time, pending a court ruling on the impeachment case against Srettha. Phumtham might probably address the House on behalf of the legally besieged prime minister on the 2025 budget bill.
The Constitutional Court today (June 12) called for both the besieged prime minister and the senior lawmakers who had earlier filed the impeachment lawsuit against him to submit additional documents or evidence pertaining to the case within next Monday so that it can be deliberated by court the next day.
If pieces of evidence filed by the senior lawmakers against the prime minister are considered by court to carry adequate weight of accusation, Srettha could possibly be suspended at a court order from performing his prime-ministerial duties immediately, pending a court ruling on the case which might probably take a few months from now.
If finally found guilty as charged, the Pheu Thai-attached prime minister could possibly be deprived of his status as head of government at a court order with immediate effect.
Srettha had been accused of severely violating the constitution and code of political ethics by naming the notorious Pichit Chuenban, a former lawyer handling lawsuits on behalf of the de facto Pheu Thai boss, a minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office despite the fact that he had been earlier sentenced to jail for an attempted bribery and contempt of the Supreme Court.
The contentious naming of Pichit who had already resigned under pressure had been allegedly pushed by the de facto Pheu Thai boss in behind-the-scenes fashion.
In what was seen as an unprecedented politically-related legal scenario, the Constitutional Court has scheduled for deliberation of three major legal battles on the same day – June 18, which coincides with the date on which the billionaire, powerful Thaksin is scheduled to be brought by the Office of the Attorney-General before the Criminal Court to formally hear of charges in a lese majeste lawsuit.
The two other significant cases which the Constitutional Court is scheduled to consider next Tuesday include a highly debatable lawsuit filed by the Election Commission in pursuit of the dissolution of the Move Forward on charges of attempting to undermine rule of the country by openly pushing for amendment to the lese majeste law, also known as Section 112 of the Criminal Code, and to rule whether the complicated, triple-tiered election of 200 senators nationwide may be deemed “unconstitutional” as charged by certain contestants.
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Top and Front Page: Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. Photos: Thai Rath
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