By ABC News
Thailand’s Constitutional Court has suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from duty pending a case seeking her dismissal, adding to mounting pressure on a government under fire on multiple fronts.
The court said in a statement it had accepted a petition from 36 senators that accused Ms Paetongtarn of dishonesty and breaching ethical standards in violation of the constitution over the leak of a politically sensitive telephone conversation with Cambodia’s influential former leader, Hun Sen.
The statement said there was “reasonable cause to suspect” that Ms Paetongtarn had violated the constitution.
The government is expected to be led by a deputy prime minister in a caretaker capacity while the court decides the case against Ms Paetongtarn, who will remain in the cabinet as the new culture minister following a reshuffle.
The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on her suspension.
In a seven-to-two majority decision, the judges of the court agreed to consider the petition from the senators.
Ms Paetongtarn has been under increasing pressure over her handling of a border dispute with Cambodia and has been criticised for her deference towards Hun Sen during the phone call, in which she referred to him as uncle and called a senior Thai military officer an “opponent”.
She has apologised and said her remarks were a negotiating tactic.
Thousands protested in the Thai capital, Bangkok, over the weekend calling for her resignation.
Family strife
Ms Paetongtarn’s battles after only 10 months in power underline the declining strength of the Pheu Thai Party.
The populist juggernaut of the billionaire Shinawatra dynasty has dominated Thai elections since 2001, enduring military coups and court rulings that have toppled multiple governments and prime ministers.
It has been a baptism of fire for the political novice, who was thrust into power as Thailand’s youngest premier and replacement for Srettha Thavisin, who was dismissed by the Constitutional Court for violating ethics by appointing a minister who was once jailed.
Ms Paetongtarn’s government has also been struggling to revive a stuttering economy and her popularity has declined sharply, with a June 19-25 opinion poll released at the weekend showing her approval rating sinking to 9.2 per cent from 30.9 per cent in March.
Ms Paetongtarn is not alone in her troubles, with influential father Thaksin Shinawatra, the driving force behind her government, facing legal hurdles of his own in two different courts this month.
Mr Thaksin, according to his lawyer, appeared at his first hearing at Bangkok’s Criminal Court on Tuesday on charges he insulted Thailand’s powerful monarchy, a serious offence punishable by up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.
The divisive tycoon denies the allegations and has repeatedly pledged allegiance to the crown.
The case stems from a 2015 media interview Mr Thaksin gave while in self-imposed exile, from which he returned in 2023 after 15 years abroad to serve a prison sentence for conflicts of interest and abuse of power.
Mr Thaksin, 75, dodged jail and spent six months in hospital detention on medical grounds before being released on parole in February last year.
The Supreme Court will this month scrutinise that hospital stay and could potentially send him back to jail.
ABC/Reuters