Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra - Photo: REUTERS
According to Reuters, on July 1, the Thai Constitutional Court ruled to temporarily suspend Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office pending consideration of a lawsuit requesting her removal.
During the time Ms. Shinawatra is suspended from office, Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit will be acting prime minister of Thailand.
According to a court announcement, they accepted the petition of 36 senators, accusing Ms. Paetongtarn of dishonesty and violating ethical standards under the Thai Constitution.
After being suspended from office, Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra apologized to the people for her actions that caused public unrest, and affirmed that she would "do her best for the country, with the will to serve and protect national sovereignty ".
She also emphasized "always respecting the court's decision" and committed to fully complying with legal procedures in the coming time.
The reason for the Thai constitutional court's decision stemmed from the leak of a sensitive phone call between her and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen.
In the June 15 call, Ms. Paetongtarn was criticized for "bowing to Mr. Hun Sen" and considering the Thai military commander as "hostile".
Despite an apology and explanation that this was just a negotiating tactic, the incident has sparked a strong wave of protests in the country. An important party in the ruling coalition has withdrawn, leaving Ms. Paetongtarn's government with only a narrow majority in the National Assembly , facing the risk of an upcoming vote of no confidence.
According to Reuters, while waiting for the final decision, the Thai government is expected to be run by the deputy prime minister under the temporary prime minister mechanism, while Ms. Paetongtarn will still hold a seat in the cabinet with a new role as Minister of Culture after the recent cabinet reshuffle.
Comment (0)