If Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is removed, the 500-seat parliament must convene to choose a new premier.
Thailand’s Constitutional Court is set to rule on Wednesday on whether Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin can be dismissed, having served less than a year in office.
A group of 40 senators, appointed by the former military government, filed a lawsuit against Srettha.
The case against Srettha
The Constitutional Court will rule on whether Srettha violated “ethical standards” by appointing Pichit Chuenban.
In 2008, Pichit was sentenced to six months in jail for a graft-related offense. He resigned from the cabinet to assist Srettha, but the court proceeded with a case based on a complaint filed by the senators.
Srettha has denied wrongdoing and expects to survive the process.
“I have done my best and sent a closing statement, now it depends on the justice system,” he said on Tuesday.
If Srettha is dismissed, Thailand’s 500-seat parliament must convene to choose a new prime minister, potentially plunging the country further into political uncertainty.
Srettha came to power less than a year ago at the head of a coalition led by his Pheu Thai party, of which former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra remains a key patriarch figure, after striking a deal with military-linked parties. Pichit is a lawyer closely associated with Thaksin’s family.
Thailand’s political woes
Last week, the same court dissolved the main opposition Move Forward Party (MFP), banning its former leader from politics for 10 years.
The remaining members of MFP launched a new movement on Friday, named “The People’s Party”, with the ambition of bringing change in the next national election, scheduled for 2027.
Meanwhile, Srettha faces several challenges even if he survives Tuesday’s judgment.
Many of his policies face significant opposition.
His proposals to recriminalize cannabis and distribute 10,000 baht (€260; $285) to more than 40 million Thais have been seen as contentious, both nationally and within his coalition.
