PM Srettha Thavisin was dismissed from office earlier today by Thailand’s Constitutional Court, which ruled that Srettha had committed an ethical violation by appointing a Cabinet member who had previously been jailed over an alleged bribery attempt. (New York Times)
Our Take
This is now the second major ruling by Thailand’s Constitutional Court targeting parties outside the country’s conservative establishment. But while last week’s decision targeted a powerful opposition party, this one targets a PM from a party, Pheu Thai, that is ostensibly allied with the establishment.
Pheu Thai, a populist vehicle for former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, was for more than a decade the country’s main opposition to the conservative establishment. But last year, a controversial deal resulted in a coalition government between Pheu Thai and establishment-aligned parties, elevating Srettha to the office of PM.