A recent court decision in Thailand has led to the removal of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office due to an ethical violation. This ruling has added to the ongoing political turmoil in the country, following the dissolution of the main opposition party by the court just a week prior.
The issue that prompted the Constitutional Court to rule against Prime Minister Srettha involved his appointment of a Cabinet member who had previously been imprisoned for attempting to bribe a court official. The court voted 5:4 against Srettha, resulting in his immediate removal from office.
The current Cabinet will continue to operate in a caretaker capacity until a new prime minister is approved by Parliament. There is no set timeframe for Parliament to appoint a replacement for Srettha.
Srettha had selected Pichit Chuenban as a minister for the Prime Minister’s Office during a Cabinet reshuffle in April. However, Pichit had served a six-month jail sentence in 2008 for contempt of court after allegedly trying to bribe a judge in a case involving former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Although Pichit had already completed his prison term, the Supreme Court had deemed his actions as dishonest. The Constitutional Court held Srettha accountable for approving Pichit’s appointment despite being aware of his past, leading to the violation of ethical codes.
The petition against Srettha originated from former members of the military-installed Senate who had blocked Move Forward’s candidate for prime minister, a move perceived to benefit a pro-military political party within Srettha’s coalition government.
Thailand’s Constitutional Court is known to align with the country’s royalist establishment and has made decisions that impact political opponents. Srettha assumed office in August of the previous year, even though his party did not secure a first-place finish in the elections.
In a separate ruling, the Constitutional Court dissolved the Move Forward Party, which had won the most seats in the 2023 election, for proposing an amendment seen as a violation of the law against defaming the royal family. The party has since rebranded as the People’s Party.
