By Femi Akinyemi
Thailand鈥檚 Constitutional Court has suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra over her leaked phone conversation with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
In the leaked phone conversation, Shinawatra called Sen 鈥渦ncle鈥 and criticised a Thai military commander, sparking public anger and a petition for her dismissal, which the court is now considering.
The Shinawatra ruling coalition is already teetering with a slim majority after a key conservative ally abandoned it two weeks ago.
The Constitutional Court voted 7-2 to suspend her while they consider the case for her dismissal and she has 15 days to present her defence.
In the meantime, the deputy PM will serve as the country鈥檚 acting leader.
Shinawatra, however, will remain in the cabinet as culture minister, a new appointment following a cabinet reshuffle that was endorsed hours before she was suspended.
On Tuesday, Shinawatra apologised again, adding that the purpose of her phone call with Hun Sen was 鈥渕ore than 100%鈥 for the country鈥.
The call was about the border dispute between the two countries 鈥 although it鈥檚 decades old, tensions have risen again since late May when a Cambodian soldier was killed.
The leaked audio especially angered conservative lawmakers who accused her of appeasing Hun Sen and undermining Thailand鈥檚 military.
But she defended herself on Tuesday, saying, 鈥淚 had no intent to do it for my own interest. I only thought about how to avoid chaos, avoid fighting and to avoid loss of lives.
鈥淚f you listened to it carefully, you鈥檇 understand that I didn鈥檛 have ill intentions. This is what I鈥檒l focus and spend time on explaining thoroughly.鈥
If she is eventually dismissed, Shinawatra will be the second prime minister from the Pheu Thai party to be removed from premiership since August last year.
At that time, her predecessor Srettha Thavisin was dismissed, also by the constitutional court, for appointing to his cabinet a former lawyer who was once jailed.
Days later, Shinawatra 鈥 whose father is Thailand鈥檚 deposed leader Thaksin Shinawatra 鈥 was sworn in as prime minister.
Tuesday鈥檚 decision once again underscores the constitutional court鈥檚 power to unmake governments, which critics say can be weaponised to target political opponents.
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