The Constitutional Court on Wednesday removed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office due to an ethical breach, further destabilizing Thai politics following the court-ordered dissolution of the primary opposition party a week earlier.
The Thai court found Srettha guilty in a case involving his selection of a Cabinet member previously jailed for an alleged attempt to bribe a court official. The court’s decision, with a vote of 5 to 4, led to Srettha’s immediate removal from office.
The Cabinet will continue to function on an interim basis until Parliament approves a new prime minister, which is not bound by a specific timeline to appoint a successor.
In April, during a Cabinet reshuffle, Srettha appointed Pichit Chuenban as a minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Pichit had served six months in prison in 2008 for contempt of court after he reportedly tried to bribe a judge with 2 million baht ($55,000) in a grocery bag related to a case involving former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Pichit stepped down from his role weeks after his appointment amid renewed controversy surrounding the incident.
Despite Pichit having served his sentence, the court found his actions dishonest as per the Supreme Court’s judgment.
The court emphasized that as prime minister, Srettha was solely responsible for the integrity of his Cabinet appointments. It noted that he was aware of Pichit’s history yet proceeded with the nomination, thereby breaching ethical standards.
The challenge to Srettha’s position was initiated by ex-members of the military-backed Senate, who previously blocked the appointment of Move Forward’s prime ministerial candidate during government formation attempts following their electoral win.
This petition against Srettha appeared to favor a pro-military faction within his coalition government.
In Thailand, entities like the Constitutional Court are viewed as protectors of the royalist framework, frequently employing their authority and other ostensibly autonomous state bodies, including the Election Commission, to weaken or eliminate political adversaries.
Srettha assumed the role of prime minister in August of the previous year, even though his Pheu Thai party only came in second in the general elections.
After the Senate, whose term concluded in May, blocked Move Forward from taking power, Pheu Thai, previously Move Forward’s largest ally, removed it from the coalition.
Pheu Thai then collaborated with parties from the former military regime to secure sufficient backing from other parties and the Senate to confirm a new prime minister.
Last week, the Constitutional Court dissolved Move Forward Party, the top seat winner in the 2023 election yet unable to assume power, over allegations of constitutional violations for proposing a revision to a law against defaming the royal family. The party has since reformed as the People’s Party.
