E-Paper
Youngest Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra removed by court: What's next for Thailand?
With this court ruling, the Southeast Asian country has once again plunged into political uncertainty.
Thailand's Constitutional Court removed suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office on Friday. The court's decision comes after it found the prime minister guilty of ethical misconduct over a controversial phone call with Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen.
With this ruling, Paetongtarn Shinawatra is the fifth prime minister to have been removed from office by Thai courts since 2008.
Furthermore, according to Bangkok Post, the 38-year-old, who was also the youngest Thai PM, is the sixth premier to have been removed by the military or judiciary. Her father Thaksin was toppled in the 2006 by a coup, and her aunt Yingluck was removed from office by the Constitutional Court in early 2014.
With this court ruling, the Southeast Asian country has once again plunged into political uncertainty.
Also Read | Why Thailand ousted two prime ministers in a year
What did the court say?
The Constitutional Court ruled that the prime minister's call with Hun Sen was a serious ethical violation.
The court added that the prime minister was in violation of the Constitution under Section 170 (1)(4) in conjunction with Sections 106 (4) and (5) of the Constitution, which calls for a minister to be trustworthy, subject to scrutiny in all aspects, and must demonstrate manifest integrity.
Furthermore, the court also criticised the PM's choice of words used for the Second Army Region commander during her phone call with the Cambodian leader.
As per the court, this behaviour implied partisanship and exposed internal division, which would have allowed Cambodia to interfere in Thailand's domestic affairs.
The court added that due to her conversation with Hun Sen, the PM put her personal interests over those of the nation, hence the public has lost trust and confidence in her leadership.
She was ousted by a majority vote (6 to 3), terminating her with immediate effect.
What was the phone call about?
June onwards, the Thai PM was at the centre of national backlash for a leaked conversation with Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
The phone call between the two leaders took place days before a military standoff erupted between the two neighbouring states.
In the June phone call, Paetongtarn was heard making derogatory remarks about the Second Army Region commander, labelling him as an "adversary" to ties between Thailand and Cambodia.
The Second Army Region is the main force supervising the border with Cambodia. which includes the four contested areas between the two countries.
Following the leak, Shinawatra was suspended from her post. The Thai PM also apologised for the phone call, stating that she had no "ill intentions."
What's next for Thailand?
Thailand will now head for another round of snap elections. Under the constitution, politicians who were nominated for prime minister by the respective parties before 2023 can be named to form the government.
The ruling Pheu Thai party now has one eligible candidate - 77-year-old Chaikasem Nitisiri.
Meanwhile, some other names in the run are:
- Anutin Charnvirakul of the Bhumjaithai Party.
- Prayuth Chan-ocha, formerly of the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party. He also led the 2014 coup and ruled Thailand for nine years.
- Energy Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga
- Former deputy prime minister Jurin Laksanawisit.
With no time limit set in place, Deputy PM Phumtham Wechayachai and the current cabinet will oversee the government in a caretaker capacity.
