By Thai Newsroom Reporters
PRIME MINISTER PAETONGTARN Shinawatra has today (Oct. 8) encountered a fresh legal battle in addition to others designed to depose her from power.
Paetongtarn, daughter of de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra, has been formally accused of breaking political ethics by naming Nattawut Saikua and Surapong Suebwonglee as adviser to the prime minister and as vice chairman of an advisory board attached to the prime minister respectively, according to Palang Pracharath activist Ruangkrai Leekitwatana who filed the impeachment lawsuit against the prime minister to the Election Commission today.
Given the fact that both Nattawut and Surapong had been previously convicted by court and sentenced to jail terms, their naming for positions in government was legally tantamount to violation of political ethics on the part of the woman prime minister, according to the political activist.
Nattawut had been previously named a member of cabinet and performed as leader of Red Shirt movement in support of the de facto Pheu Thai boss and his ruling party whilst Surapong had been previously named deputy prime minister and finance minister, among other political positions.
Ruangkrai cited last August’s historic case which had finally led to an immediate ouster of former prime minister Srettha Thavisin due to his having earlier breached political ethics by naming a former lawyer-turned-convict Pichit Chuenban a minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office.
He called on the Election Commission to promptly petition the Constitutional Court to order an immediate suspension of Paetongtarn’s prime-ministerial duties, pending an eventual court ruling on the impeachment case.
In the meantime, Paetongtarn has already faced other lawsuits lodged in pursuit of an immediate end to elected premiership and in relation to her father’s alleged, unlawful roles of a power player behind the scenes.
If found guilty as charged, the woman prime minister could possibly be impeached and deprived of power at an order of the Constitutional Court, thus rendering an automatic end to the current Pheu Thai-led coalition government.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Palang Pracharath activist Ruangkrai Leekitwatana.Photo: Matichon
Insert: Nattawut Saikua, right, and Surapong Suebwonglee, left, with an image of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra inset. Photo: Amarin TV
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