Srettha Thavisin Becomes the Third Thai Leader Removed by Court in 16 Years
In a significant political shakeup, Thailand’s Constitutional Court has dismissed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin for appointing a former lawyer with a criminal record to his cabinet. The court ruled that Srettha violated ethical standards with his “display of defiant behaviour.”
Srettha, 62, had been in power for less than a year, making him the third Thai prime minister to be removed by the Constitutional Court in the past 16 years. The court’s decision is final and cannot be appealed. An interim leader will take over until parliament convenes to elect a new prime minister.
“I’m confident in my honesty … I feel sorry, but I’m not saying I disagree with the ruling,” Srettha stated in a press conference following the decision.
The ruling is widely viewed as politically motivated, though it remains unclear who may have been behind the push for Srettha’s removal. In May, the court accepted a petition from 40 senators to remove Srettha over his appointment of Pichit Chuenban, a former lawyer who had been sentenced to six months in jail for attempted bribery. Despite Pichit resigning after just 19 days, the court found Srettha in violation of ethical standards.
This decision echoes a broader pattern in Thai politics, where leaders and parties are frequently toppled by the disproportionate power of the Constitutional Court. Srettha’s dismissal follows last week’s dissolution of the Move Forward party by the same court for making unconstitutional campaign promises. The court also banned 11 of its leaders from politics for a decade.
Srettha’s appointment as prime minister last August ended nine years of military-dominated rule in Thailand. His rise to power was the result of a political deal that excluded the reformist Move Forward party, which had won the most seats in the previous year’s general election but was blocked from forming a government by the military-appointed senate.
With Srettha’s ousting, Thailand once again finds itself in a state of political uncertainty, as the nation grapples with a faltering economy and ongoing power struggles. The upcoming vote for a new prime minister is expected to involve intense backroom negotiations, further prolonging the country’s political turmoil.
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