Democracy is on defense in Thailand, says Pita Limjaroenrat
Washington PostAug 19
Thailand: Paetongtarn Shinawatra Nominated to Replace Ousted PM
Above: Paetongtarn Shinawatra, alongside coalition party leaders, announces that she will be the country's next Prime Minister candidate on August 15, 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. Image copyright: Lauren DeCicca/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
In a 5-4 ruling, Thailand's Constitutional Court voted Wednesday to remove Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from his office over ethics violations concerning his appointment of ex-convict Pichit Chueban as cabinet minister.
Pichit was jailed in 2008 for trying to bribe Supreme Court officials, and was appointed to Srettha's cabinet in April this year. A petition by 40 senators consequently accused the appointment of breaching the office's ethical standards.
The Spin
Narrative A
The court's decision to remove Srettha is a surprise to many who expected the former PM to be declared innocent after a minor wrongdoing. It is likely that, after an underwhelming start to his premiership and a stuttering economy, the political novice did not achieve enough to prove to the country's royal establishment that he was fit to continue.
Narrative B
Recent decisions by Thailand's Constitutional Court have once again exposed a great power imbalance rooted deep within the state. With Thailand now possessing neither a government nor an opposition, it is clearer than ever that the Constitutional Court's influence over the country must be limited if the interests of the people are to be truly represented.