The Thailand’s legislature plans to meet on Friday to elect a new Prime Minister after the Constitutional Court withdrew Settha Thavisin from his functions on Wednesday, judging that he had committed an ethical violation by knowingly appointing a member of the cabinet with a criminal record.
In a 5-4 verdict which dissolved the government of Srettha, which was in power for 11 months, the court said that it was responsible for verifying its cabinet appointments. He judged that he was aware of the previous conviction of Ally Pichit Chuenban, a former lawyer who had been detained for six months in 2008 for the court.
For the moment, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai should serve as an interim Prime Minister. If Phumtham is not available, the role would fall to the second Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jangroongruangkit.
“The facts show that the respondent [Srettha] knew or should have known about various circumstances of the second defendant [Pichit] Throughout, but has always proposed to appoint the second defendant as minister to the Prime Minister’s office, “said the court.
“This shows that the respondent lacks obvious honesty and integrity,” said the verdict, noting that he did not comply with ethical standards.
The current cabinet should continue as a goalkeeper until a new government is formed – Parliament should meet at 10 a.m. Friday to elect a Prime Minister.
Srettha, a member of the Thai party of Pheu and the first Civil Prime Minister of Thailand after almost a decade of military regime, did not attend the judicial session on Wednesday but responded to the verdict at a press conference in Government House in Bangkok.
“I accept the decision and I confirm that throughout my stay in this position, I worked with integrity,” he said. “I am not looking for if I will be disqualified or not, but I am sad that I will be removed as Prime Minister without ethics. I am convinced that I am an ethical person. ”
Pichit, appointed problem of Srettha, had resigned on May 21 to avoid having an impact on the work of the administration, although he argued that he was fully qualified to serve.
“To allow the country to move forward and not to assign the administration of the Prime Minister of State Affairs, which must proceed to continuity, I do not hang on to the post,” said Pichit in his letter of resignation.
Srettha’s successor must come from a list of candidates offered before the 2023 general elections by parties who won at least 25 parliamentary seats.
This narrows the field to the potential candidates of several parties. These include Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Chaikasem Nitiiri de Pheu Thai; Anutin Charnvirakul of the Bhumjaithai Party; General Prawit Wongsuwan of the Palalang Pracharath party; Former Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-O-Cha; And Pirapan Salirathavibhaga of the United Thai Nation Party, and Jurin Laksanawisit of the Democratic Party.
Paetongtarn is the daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was forced from his functions by a military coup in 2006 and spent years in exile before returning to Thailand last year. After his return, Thaksin spent six months in a prison hospital for corruption.
Prayuth, a former army leader who took power after leaving a 2014 military coup who overthrew the Minister of Primordial at the time, Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s sister, announced that he was leaving politics after losing power in the 2023 elections. Despite this announcement, Prayuth is a candidate because his party named him before the vote.
‘Case of snack bags’
Srettha, a former real estate magnate, was elected Prime Minister in August 2023 after the Pheu Thai party formed a coalition government despite the second row of the elections. The party advances Forward, which won the most seats, could not form a government due to the opposition of the senators appointed military about its position on the reform of Lèse Majeste, the strict law against royal defamation.
The case against Pichit, known as “Snack case, dates back to 2008, when, while being a lawyer for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife in a field affair, he was accused of having tried to unite civil servants with 2 million baht ($ 57,156 US).
He would have placed the money in a bag of paper grocery store, claiming that it was a snack for a justice officer. This led can be discovered in contempt in court and to serve a sentence of six months in prison.
In mid-May, 40 senators asked the Constitutional Court to reign over termination due to the appointment of Pichit. On May 23, the Constitutional Court agreed to examine the petition.
“We must thank the Constitutional Court for having ruled that Srettha is withdrawn from the post of Prime Minister because of dishonesty and a serious ethical misconduct in the appointment of Pichit, who had problems, despite his qualification problems from the start,” said petitioner Somchai Sawaengkarn, a former senator, journalists after learning the verdict.
In an article on X (formerly Twitter), Phil Robertson, director of defenders of human rights and work in Asia, criticized the decision.
“The dark era of Thailand to destroy democracy by inexplicable decisions of the Constitutional Court controlled by the conservative elites continues with the dismissal of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. The absurdity is palpable! Look at foreign investors head for outings, “he published.
Dissolved party
In the 2023 elections, the Award Award party won 153 seats – the most public – and appointed Pita Limjaroenrat as Prime Minister.
His appointment failed when he could not obtain the support of the former Senate, the 250 members of which were authorized to vote with the 500 members of the Lower Chamber. The senators said they would not support his party’s proposal to modify article 112, also known as Lèse Majeste.
Due to the controversy on article 112, Pheu Thai, which had formed a post-electoral alliance with the future, broke the links with it, then formed a coalition which managed to appoint Srettha to serve as Prime Minister.
The Constitutional Court ruled against Srettha six days after he ordered that the party of the future has dissolved and prohibited the Pita and 10 other policy leaders for a decade because of their campaign to undo the law on royal defamation. Two days later, the remaining members reconstituted themselves as the festival of the people.
After Wednesday’s decision, the new party held a press conference to express its concerns and disagreements.
“While the People’s Party claims that holders of political functions should have ethics and integrity, ethics is a question that different people interpret differently,” journalists Parit Wacharasindhu told the Party of the People’s Party.
The decision against Srettha is the fourth action of this type of the court in 16 years, according to the media.
Samak Sundaravej, who took office after Thaksin, was forced from his functions in 2008 because the court decided that he had hosted four cooking shows after taking office. Later that year, the court forced Somchai Wongsawat after having found him guilty of electoral fraud.
In 2014, the court recognized Yingluck guilty of power violence and forced him to go out at the same time as the coup headed by Prayuth.
Power Power Shuffle
Deputy Professor Orarn Thinbangieo, professor at the Faculty of Political Science and Law at the University of Burapha, stressed that the decision would shake the stability of the former power group, adding that the new Prime Minister may not come from the list of Pheu Thai.
“In principle, Pheu Thai would name Paetongtarn as Prime Minister. However, what must be looked at, is how Pheu Thai can maintain political stability with his current coalition partners,” Orarn told Benarnews. “They will have to consolidate power to maintain the majority vote in hand. There is a chance that the next PM does not come from Pheu Thai if the Shinawatra family assesses that Paetongtarn is not ready.
“If the parts of the coalition become difficult, Pheu Thai could reverse the course and associate with people’s Day, which would also give them a majority. But in the long term, this decision will shake the unity of the old power group because they are now faced with a difficult battle with the People’s Party, which has wide support. ”
Jon Preechawong in Bangkok contributed to this report.
Benarnews is an online press organization affiliated with the FRG.