A Thailand Constitutional Court has removed Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin from office on Wednesday as it ruled against him in an ethics case that has divided the kingdom and thrown it into fresh political turmoil.
Judge Punya Udchachon, who read the ruling had said that the court voted five to four to remove Srettha from office due to his appointment of a minister with a criminal conviction.
The court had ruled that Srettha contravened ethical standards by appointing a lawyer with a criminal conviction to his cabinet.
The case against Srettha is focused around his appointment of Pichit Chuenban, a lawyer who had been convicted of a graft-related offense in 2008. Despite Pichit resigning from the cabinet in an attempt to allay the situation, the court proceeded with the case, eventually ruling that Srettha’s actions showed a lack of honesty and ethical conduct.
This ruling not only removes Srettha from office but also dissolves his entire cabinet, necessitating a new parliamentary session to select a new prime minister. This development is following the recent dissolution of the main opposition party, Move Forward Party (MFP).
