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The Constitutional Court of Thailand announced this today. dismissal of Prime Minister Sretta Taweesin after finding him guilty of violating the ethics code for illegally appointing a minister, just a week after the same court dissolved the largest opposition party.

In close discussion with five votes for and four against, The court found Sretta guilty of appointing as finance minister in late April Pichit Chuenban, who was sentenced in 2008 to six months in prison for attempting to bribe judicial officials.

The complaint was filed in court a group of 40 former senators chosen by a defunct military junta (2014-2019), and the decision came just a week after the same court ruled dissolve, move forward, the winning party of the 2023 elections that was blocked from governing by the Senate.

Sretta, who maintains her innocence, came to power about a year ago, after he led an uneasy coalition of his Phu Thai party, the second-largest vote-getter in the last election and at the time the conservatives’ biggest antagonist, with several factions, including two linked to the former military junta.

“The fact that Sretta knew about the mistake and, despite this, appointed this man as minister indicates a lack of integrity (…) By a majority of 5 votes to 4, the Constitutional Court ruled that Sretta’s position had been terminated in accordance with Article 170 of the Constitution,” one of the judges said, reading out the ruling.

Sretta’s resignation leads to the fall of his entire cabinet and The House of Representatives must elect a new leader, for which there is basically no time limit, which could plunge the country into paralysis.

It is possible that Pheu Thai could continue to dominate the government if his candidate, who could become daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Patongtarn Shinawatra has been nominated, although Sretta’s dismissal is expected to spark a new power struggle and uncertainty.

Sretta’s fall and the dissolution last week of the Avanzar party, which was reborn last Friday under the brand of the new People’s Party and remains the main opposition force, have drawn widespread criticism for This is considered the “judicialization” of politics.

(EFE)