By Agencies and published by CNA
THE Constitutional Court on Wednesday (Aug. 14) dismissed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin for appointing to his Cabinet a former lawyer who served jail time, raising the spectre of more political upheaval and a reset of the governing alliance.
Real estate tycoon Srettha becomes the fourth Thai premier in 16 years to be removed by verdicts by the same court, after it ruled he violated the constitution by appointing a minister who did not meet ethical standards.
Srettha’s removal after less than a year in power means parliament must convene to choose a new premier, with the prospect of more uncertainty in a country dogged for two decades by coups and court rulings that have brought down multiple governments and political parties.
The same court last week dissolved the Move Forward Party (MFP), the hugely popular opposition, ruling that its campaign to reform the lese majeste law was tantamount to undermining rule of the country,
Srettha’s Pheu Thai Party and its predecessors have borne the brunt of Thailand’s turmoil, with two of its governments removed by coups in a long-running grudge match between the party’s founders, the billionaire Shinawatra family, and its rivals in the conservative establishment and royalist military.
The decision could rock a fragile truce between political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra and his enemies among the conservative elite and military old guard, which enabled the tycoon’s return from 15 years of self-exile in 2023 and ally Srettha to become premier the same day.
Srettha had been accused by a group of 40 former senators of severely breaching the coup junta-designed constitution and code of political ethics by naming Pichit Chuenban, a former lawyer for de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin , a minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office in last April’s cabinet lineup.
Deputy premier Phumtham Wechayachai is expected to take over as caretaker prime minister.
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Top and Front Page: Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. Photos: Thai Rath
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