Thai Prime Minister Surendra Thavisin speaks to reporters at Government House in Bangkok about the resignation of Thai Foreign Minister Panpree Vahidda Nukkah. Reuters
A political crisis may be brewing in Thailand as a crucial trial week begins.
The future of the prime minister and the main opposition party is hanging in the balance.
Prominent leaders of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy are involved in four cases due to be heard in court today.
These include Prime Minister Surendra Thavisin, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, senators and the popular opposition Forward Party.
Thailand’s political landscape has long been shaped by a struggle between a conservative, royalist elite backed by the military and populist parties such as supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra and the opposition Forward Party.
“These events highlight the fragility and complexity of Thailand’s political situation,” ANZ Research said in a note, adding: “On the economic side, the possibility of disruptive protests and delays in implementing fiscal policy are immediate concerns.”
Prime Minister’s Involvement
Several conservative senators have charged that newly appointed Prime Minister Suret Tavissin has violated the constitution by appointing a former lawyer with a criminal record to his cabinet.
Sletta is a political novice who took office in August.
He has denied any wrongdoing and could be removed from office if the Constitutional Court rules against him.
For Suretta to be removed from office, a new government would need to be formed and the ruling Pheu Thai Party would need to nominate a new prime minister to be elected by parliament.
The next hearing or sentencing date will probably be announced by the court on Tuesday.
Former prime minister indicted
Thaksin, an influential former prime minister ousted in a 2006 military coup, was reportedly released on bail just hours after being formally charged in a Bangkok criminal court on Tuesday with defaming the country’s royal family, in one of several cases that have rocked Thai politics. Associated Press.
The billionaire politician appeared before prosecutors on Tuesday morning and was charged, Prayut Vejraguna, spokesman for the attorney-general’s office, told a news conference.
A later court statement cited several reasons for granting bail, including Thaksin’s age, having a permanent address in Thailand and the absence of objections from prosecutors, and said his passport had been confiscated.
Thailand’s lèse majesté laws are among the toughest in the world, carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for any act deemed an insult to the royal family.
The 74-year-old returned to Thailand for a rock-star reception last August after 15 years in self-imposed exile.
Hours after his arrival, the Shinawatra family-backed Pheu Thai and Sreattva parties blitzed through a parliamentary vote to select prime minister, sparking speculation that Thaksin had reached a deal with his old foes within the conservative establishment.
Thaksin and the Pheu Thai Party deny this.
The future of the opposition parties is in doubt
The progressive En Marche party, which won close elections last year and holds 30 percent of seats in the lower house, could also be dissolved in another instance if conservative lawmakers block it from forming a government.
One of the factors that led to widespread anti-government street protests in 2020 was the dissolution of the Forward Party’s predecessor, the Future Forward Party, for violating campaign finance regulations.
According to a complaint filed by the Election Commission with the Constitutional Court, the Progressive Party violated the constitution by campaigning for the amendment of the country’s royal insult law.
Move Forward denies any wrongdoing but halted its efforts to change the law following a January ruling from the same court that the party’s plans for legal reform were a veiled attempt to undermine the monarchy.
The court is expected to announce the next hearing or sentencing date on Tuesday.
Senate Elections
The Constitutional Court is also due to rule on Tuesday on the ongoing selection of 200 senators after accepting a petition questioning whether parts of the complex three-stage process were lawful.
The terms of military-appointed lawmakers, who have played a key role in deciding who forms a government, including last year’s attempt to block Move Forward’s formation of a government, would be temporarily extended if the process is delayed or halted.
The current senate was selected by the military after the 2014 coup that ousted the elected Pheu Thai Party government led by Thaksin’s sister, who still lives in self-imposed exile.
Quoted from Reuters
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