BANGKOK — Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will not personally attend the Constitutional Court ruling on whether he violated the constitution by appointing Pichit Chuenban as PM Office Minister despite Pichit having been charged for attempted bribery of a court official.
The ruling is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Wednesday, August 14, one week after the court ordered the dissolution of the opposition Move Forward Party on August 7. If found guilty, Srettha could be removed from power.
Srettha said on Tuesday that due to his prior work engagement, he will send PM secretary Prommin Lertsuridej to represent him in hearing.
He also addressed criticisms that he looked sad before the ruling, explaining that his sadness was due to his mother’s recent passing, which is normal. Some say he appears very confident because he’s been preparing meeting agendas until the end of the month. Srettha clarified that these are part of his duties as Prime Minister to govern and prepare work to alleviate people’s hardships.
“I’m not showing confidence or lack thereof. I’ve done my best since submitting the closing statement two weeks ago. Everything depends on the justice process. If the result is positive for me, I’ll continue working. If it’s negative, the acting Prime Minister will consider and adjust the plans I’ve prepared as appropriate,” he said with a normal smile.
One Year of Serving as PM
Srettha Thavisin, the prime ministerial candidate from the Pheu Thai Party, received majority approval in parliament to become Prime Minister on August 22, 2023. Since then, he has been working almost without days off, focusing on economic measures by stimulating tourism and attracting foreign money through visa exemption policies for various foreign tourists.
At the same time, he has been visiting foreign countries to invite governments and international private sectors to invest in Thailand and trying to expand Thai export channels. However, he has shown disagreement with the Governor of the Bank of Thailand regarding the central bank’s insistence on not lowering the policy interest rate, affecting monetary and fiscal policies.
Moreover, PM Srettha has been pushing forward with the digital wallet project, which was a key campaign policy of the Pheu Thai Party. He agreed to adjust some conditions as suggested by the Bank of Thailand. The project started to materialize in August this year when people were able to register through the “Thang Rath” (Government Path) application.
Throughout nearly a year in office, PM Srettha has received cooperation from coalition parties in administration and pushing legislation in parliament. There have been no conflicts with the military, and he has maintained a considerable distance from former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who has returned to Thailand.
However, he has been criticized by the opposition for lacking clear achievements and focusing too much on foreign trips. He has also been criticized for insisting on implementing the digital wallet project, which requires a budget of more than 450 billion baht, without certainty of its economic stimulation effects. Supporters of former PM Prayut Chan-o-cha have attacked him, claiming the current economy is more sluggish than during Prayut’s era.
Due To 40 Military-Appointed Senators
The turning point that put PM Srettha at risk in his position came from the appointment of Pichit Chuenban, a legal expert accused of bribing court officials, as Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office in the cabinet reshuffle effective April 28, 2024.
On May 15, 40 senators appointed by the military government jointly petitioned the Constitutional Court to rule on the termination of Srettha’s and Pichit’s positions.
On May 21, Pichit submitted his resignation as Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, citing the reason as not wanting to affect the Prime Minister’s administration that needs to move forward continuously.
On May 23, the Constitutional Court voted 6 to 3 to accept the petition from the 40 senators for consideration regarding Srettha’s premiership. However, he was not required to suspend his duties and was given 15 days to submit a clarification to the court. As for Pichit’s case, since he had already resigned, the court ordered not to accept the petition.
Two days later, former PM Thaksin Shinawatra criticized the movement of the 40 senators, suggesting it was backed by the “Baan Pa person,” which people understood to refer to Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, owner of the Baan Pa Roi Tor Foundation. However, PM Srettha said in an interview that there should be no implication of Gen. Prawit because the Palang Pracharath Party is part of the government coalition.
On May 30, PM Srettha signed an order appointing Wissanu Krea-ngam, an important legal expert for many prime ministers, as chief government legal advisor on law and bureaucratic regulations. He then submitted additional evidence to the Constitutional Court on July 4. The court considered the case again on July 24 and scheduled the ruling for 3:00 p.m. on August 14.
Wisanu Krea-ngam said Tuesday that even if PM Srettha is removed from power tomorrow, the cabinet can still function in a caretaker capacity, with Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai serving as acting Prime Minister.
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