Thailand PM faces ousting over controversial appointment

[reader]

From The Thaiger

Debate is intensifying over whether Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin should be ousted from office following his controversial decision to appoint Pichit Chuenban, a former convict, as a PM’s Office Minister in the latest Cabinet reshuffle.

Former senator Wanchai Sornsiri expressed confidence that the Constitutional Court will likely dismiss the case against PM Srettha, pointing out that no court ruling has been made on the specific crime that would prevent Pichit from taking up the ministerial position.

Pichit was accused of attempted bribery in 2008 while representing former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a contentious land case. Although he was sentenced to six months in jail, Wanchai clarified that this was for contempt of court, not for attempted bribery.

Wanchai also mentioned that the Thai premier had sought the Council of State’s opinion regarding the matter, indicating that the 62 year old prime minister was committed to adhering to legal procedures.

“The political circumstances are changing. Most members of the new Senate have good ties with Bhumjaithai. The recent golf date between Anutin and Thaksin at a resort in Nakhon Ratchasima is a sign that a compromise has been reached.”

The controversy began when a group of 40 caretaker senators filed a petition with the Constitutional Court in May, demanding PM Srettha’s removal for allegedly violating the constitution by appointing Pichit. They argued that Pichit was unsuitable for a cabinet role due to his 2008 conviction for attempting to bribe Supreme Court officials with a paper bag containing 2 million baht.

Pichit resigned from his ministerial position just before the court accepted the petition, a move seen as an effort to shield the Thai PM from legal complications.

The Constitutional Court is set to deliver its verdict on the case against PM Srettha tomorrow.

[TMax]

Breaking news, it seems he has been ousted and the replacement front runner will be a certain exPM's daughter. PM verdict

 

[Keithambrose]

1 hour ago, TMax said:

Breaking news, it seems he has been ousted and the replacement front runner will be a certain exPM's daughter. PM verdict

 

Madness. Prayut had a minister who had been in jail for drug dealing. No-one batted an eyelid. 

[TMax]

16 minutes ago, Keithambrose said:

Madness. Prayut had a minister who had been in jail for drug dealing. No-one batted an eyelid. 

Yes I remember that one and yes just madness. 

[vinapu]

Shortly countries like Venezuela or Cambodia will look like poster boys of democracy in comparison to Thailand.

What's next ?, dissolving whole Parliament because some deputies broke smoking ban in corridors ?

 

[Keithambrose]

2 minutes ago, vinapu said:

Shortly countries like Venezuela or Cambodia will look like poster boys of democracy in comparison to Thailand.

What's next ?, dissolving whole Parliament because some deputies broke smoking ban in corridors ?

 

Many a true word spoken in jest....

[reader]

There are a host of well-known contenders for the job,, according to this AP article.

BANGKOK (AP) — A court in Thailand on Wednesday removed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office over an ethical violation, further shaking up Thai politics after the court-ordered dissolution of the main opposition party a week ago.

The Constitutional Court ruled on a case involving Srettha's appointment of a Cabinet member who had been imprisoned in connection with an alleged attempt to bribe a court official.

The court voted 5:4 against Srettha and the ruling removed him from office immediate

The Cabinet will remain in place on a caretaker basis until Parliament approves a new prime minister. There is no time limit for Parliament to fill the position. The caretaker Cabinet could also dissolve Parliament and call a new election.

The acting PM is expected to be Phumtham Wechayachai of the Pheu Thai party. Phumtham was first deputy prime minister and commerce minister under Srettha.

If Parliament is given the task of choosing a new prime minister, it can select from a roster of candidates nominated for the post last year by the major political parties. The Pheu Thai Party, to which Srettha belongs, has two eligible candidates, including Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Another frontrunner would be Anutin Charnvirakul, head of the Bhumjaithai Party, which ran third in last year's election. He is currently a deputy prime minister and interior minister. Anuthin, a powerbroker in the vote-rich northeast whose family owns a major construction group, has served in both a military-backed government and the civilian one that it replaced.

Also in the running would be two former senior military officers: Prayuth Chan-ocha, who served as prime minister for nine years after staging a coup in 2014, and Prawit Wongsuwan, who was one of Prayuth's deputy prime ministers.

he acting PM is expected to be Phumtham Wechayachai of the Pheu Thai party. Phumtham was first deputy prime minister and commerce minister under Srettha.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/thai-prime-minister-srettha-thavisin-removed-from-office-by-court-order-over-an-ethics-violation/ar-AA1oM5yu#

 

[vinapu]

8 minutes ago, reader said:

 

The acting PM is expected to be Phumtham Wechayachai of the Pheu Thai party.

 

Shortly after taking duties he will be removed as somebody spots in Parliament's  toilets he wears yellow underwear which be  deemed offensive to monarchy and constitutional order. If you think this is stupid or impossible look at what happened in last few weeks

[Keithambrose]

10 hours ago, vinapu said:

Shortly after taking duties he will be removed as somebody spots in Parliament's  toilets he wears yellow underwear which be  deemed offensive to monarchy and constitutional order. If you think this is stupid or impossible look at what happened in last few weeks

As I said  somewhere else,  many a true word spoken in jest!

[reader]

From The Nation

Pheu Thai nominates Thaksin’s daughter as its PM candidate

The Pheu Thai Party’s executive board voted on Thursday to nominate former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, as its candidate to become Thailand’s 31st prime minister.

The board endorsed Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn as PM candidate for the House to vote on Friday after its MPs voted earlier in the morning to nominate her instead of Chaikasem Nitisiri, Pheu Thai’s other PM candidate.

Paetongtarn and Chaikasem are the two remaining Pheu Thai PM candidates after the Constitutional Court on Wednesday voted 5:4 to remove Srettha Thavisin as prime minister for lack of integrity.

Pheu Thai sources said Thaksin favoured Chaikasem for the top post as the former attorney-general had helped the former prime minister a lot when he faced criminal cases.

According to party sources, Pheu Thai convened a meeting of its MPs at Parliament on Thursday morning to have them endorse Chaikasem but the MPs chose Paetongtarn instead.

Paetongtarn was chosen as a much younger and healthier candidate, while Chaikasem reportedly has health issues.

Observers said the MPs feared that Chaikasem could face another Constitutional Court ruling regarding his integrity, as he was the attorney-general who had ordered public prosecutors to drop the bribery case against Pichit Chuenban.

Before the Pheu Thai executive voted to endorse Paetongtarn as Pheu Thai’s PM nominee, two key coalition partners – the Bhumjaithai and Untied Thai Nation Party – announced their loyalty to the Pheu Thai-led coalition.

They said they would vote for Pheu Thai’s PM candidate on Friday as long as the candidate did not support amendment of Article 112. Chaikasem in the past had expressed support for amendment of the controversial lese majeste law.

======================

Thaksin tells Pheu Thai to abandon digital wallet scheme

Pheu Thai patriarch Thaksin Shinawatra has told the ruling party to abandon its digital wallet flagship policy.

Party sources said Thaksin gave the order during a meeting with Pheu Thai core members at his Chan Song Lar residence on Wednesday evening, hours after Srettha Thavisin was removed as prime minister by the Constitutional Court.

The sources said former PM Thaksin told his daughter, Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra, to drop the controversial 450-billion-baht scheme for digital handouts of 10,000 baht.

He explained to her that the scheme should be halted as the economy was weak, a source said.

The scheme is meant to stimulate spending but has faced heavy criticism for the vast government budget involved. After dithering over how to finance the scheme, the government eventually reduced the cost from 500 billion to 450 billion and spread the burden over two budget years – 2024 and 2025.

Caretaker deputy finance minister Julapun Amornvivat changed his stance on the scheme after Wednesday’s meeting at Thaksin’s house. Earlier, Julapun had said the project would continue no matter what happened to Srettha.

[vinapu]

If elected she should make sure her jacket colour matches one of her shoes , otherwise she can be removed by 5 of 9  judges of Constitutional court for offending sensibilities of Thai population. 

This kind of stupid jokes was reserved for tragi comical nations like Equatorial Guinea , Swaziland, now Eswatini or Central African Empire under Bokassa, now Thailand fits right in.

[Keithambrose]

What a surprise, Thaksin still controls things! I see he 'gave orders', during the meeting. Just as well he doesn't lack integrity!

[TMax]

Not surprised at all that the daughter of Thaksin is now the new PM, old fashion dynasty politics at work, no wonder politics in some countries is beyond a joke.