Bangkok: Thailand's Prime Minister Sreetha Thavisin was removed from office by the Constitutional Office on Wednesday for appointing a former lawyer who served jail time to his Cabinet. The court said Sreetha violated the ethics codes as he knew about the past of Pichit Chuenban, who was jailed for six months in 2008 on contempt of court charges when he allegedly tried to bribe a judge.
Real estate tycoon Srettha has become the fourth Thai premier in 16 years to be removed by verdicts by the same court, and his dismissal heightened uncertainty in a country which has seen multiple coups and court rulings that have brought down governments and political parties in two decades. The court voted 5:4 against Srettha for appointing Pichit Chuenban as a Minister of the Prime Minister's Office in a Cabinet reshuffle in April.
The Cabinet will remain in place on a caretaker basis with deputy PM Phumtham Wechayachai expected to take the helm until the Thai Parliament approves a new prime minister. There is no time limit for Parliament to fill the position. The decision could rock a fragile truce between political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra and his enemies among the conservative elite and military old guard, which enabled the tycoon's return from 15 years of self-exile in 2023 and ally Srettha to become premier the same day.
Why was Srettha removed from office?
Srettha had appointed Pichit to the Cabinet as part of a reshuffle in April. Pichit was jailed for six months in 2008 on contempt of court charges after he allegedly tried to bribe a judge with 2 million baht ($55,000) in cash in a grocery bag over a case involving ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The charge was never proven, but Pichit resigned from the post when controversy over the incident revived.
The court said that although Pichit has already served his jail term, it said that his behaviour, as ruled by the Supreme Court, was dishonest. Srettha as prime minister has sole responsibility for vetting the qualifications of his Cabinet nominations, the court ruled. It said he knew about Pichit's past but still nominated him, and therefore they ruled that he violated the ethics codes.
"The court has found 5-4 that the accused is terminated as prime minister due to his lack of honesty," the judges said, adding his behaviour "grossly breached ethical standards". The ruling underlines the central role Thailand's judiciary has played in politics, with the same court last week dissolving the anti-establishment Move Forward Party after ruling its campaign to reform a strict law against insulting the crown risked undermining the constitutional monarchy.
'Served with honesty': Srettha Thavisin
"I am saddened to leave as a prime minister who was found to be unethical," Sreetha told reporters at the Government House. "I performed my duties with integrity and honesty." The dismissed PM also said it was possible the next government could change his administration's policies.
The 62-year-old Srettha won a parliamentary vote to become Thailand's prime minister last August, after a closely-fought election where his party had finished only second. He put together a coalition after the election-winning Move Forward party was blocked by military-appointed lawmakers from forming the government.
Despite his intentions, Srettha's tenure has been marred by setbacks, with polls indicating a majority of Thais have an unflattering view of his leadership. His government's flagship scheme - a 500 billion baht ($14.22 billion) "digital wallet" to give a 10,000 baht handout to 50 million Thais - has been repeatedly delayed, with disbursements now expected to start in the fourth quarter.
What happens next?
Thailand's cabinet will take on a caretaker role with Commerce Minister and deputy premier Phumtham becoming acting PM. Parties must decide who they will nominate and vote for as the next premier based on a list of candidates that was submitted prior to the 2023 poll.
To become prime minister, a candidate needs the backing of more than half of the lower house's current 493 lawmakers or 247 votes. If they fall short, the house must convene again later and repeat the voting process, with a chance for other candidates to be nominated. The 11-party coalition government has 314 seats in the lower house.
(with inputs from agencies)
ALSO READ | Thailand SHOCKER: 6 foreign nationals including a US citizen found dead in luxury hotel in Bangkok | VIDEO
