Thai court dismisses prime minister after less than a year over ethics violation

A Thai court has dismissed centre right prime minister Srettha Thavisin for appointing a Cabinet member who was once jailed.

Srettha, 67, who had been in office for less than a year, is the third prime minister in 16 years to be removed by the same court.

Following the dismissal that some fear will plunge the country into further political uncertainty, Srettha will be replaced by an interim leader until parliament approves a new prime minister. There is no time limit for parliament to fill the position.

Srettha had appointed Pichit Chuenban as a minister of the prime minister’s office in a Cabinet 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 two million baht (£45,000) in cash over a case involving former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Pichit resigned from the post less than three weeks after being appointed when controversy over the incident was revived.

While Pichit had already served his jail term, the court said that his behaviour was dishonest and that Thavisin, as prime minister, had sole responsibility for vetting the qualifications of his Cabinet nominations.

The petition against Srettha was initiated by some 40 senators in May.

On Wednesday, five of the court’s nine judges ruled that Thavisin had violated the ethics codes, insisting that the prime minister was “well aware that he appointed a person who seriously lacked moral integrity.”

The ruling, which cannot be appealed, removed him from office immediately.

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Speaking to reporters after the decision, Srettha said he performed his duty as prime minister as best he could, and said he “accepts the verdict.”

Srettha's appointment as prime minister last August, leading the Pheu Thai party, ended nine years of military rule in Thailand.

Now, the prime minister's dismissal has further shaken up Thai politics - already troubled by the two military coups within the last two decades - after the court-ordered dissolution of the reformist opposition party, Move Forward, last week.

The party had been accused of violating the constitution by proposing an amendment to a law against defaming the country’s royal family. It has now regrouped as the People’s Party.

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