After Bangladesh, Thailand is now experiencing political upheaval. On Wednesday, Thailand’s Constitutional Court removed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office. The court made this decision in a case related to ethics.
The judges voted 5-4 that Srettha Thavisin violated rules by appointing a lawyer with a criminal record to his cabinet. This case was brought by a group of former senators appointed by Thailand’s former ruling junta.
Just a week before this, the court had dissolved the main opposition party, causing a stir in Thai politics. The Constitutional Court found Srettha guilty of appointing a cabinet member who had been sentenced to jail for bribing a judge. The court’s decision was made by a 5:4 majority.
Acting Cabinet Until New PM Appointed
The cabinet will remain in a caretaker role until the parliament appoints a new prime minister. There is no set deadline for this appointment. In April, Srettha had appointed Pichit Chuenban as Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office. Pichit had been jailed for six months in 2008 for contempt of court, after allegedly trying to bribe a judge in a case involving former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Following the controversy, Pichit resigned a few weeks after his appointment. Although Pichit had served his jail time, the court ruled that his behavior was still unethical. The court stated that Srettha had a duty to ensure the integrity of his cabinet members. Even though Srettha knew about Pichit’s past, he appointed him to the cabinet, violating the ethics code.
