On August 29th, the Constitutional Court of Thailand ruled that Petongtan, who was suspended from the post of Prime Minister, violated the relevant provisions of the Constitution in his phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, and dismissed him from the post of Prime Minister.
Why did the court make such a ruling? Who is likely to become the new prime minister? How will the situation in Thailand develop?
Why is Petontan unconstitutional?
Nine judges of the Constitutional Court ruled that Petontan was unconstitutional after a collegial panel hearing on the 29th by a 6 - 3 vote.
According to the ruling, the court held that although Petongtan's phone call with Hun Sen was to protect the national interests, she made negative remarks about the Thai military during the call, and pleaded with Hun Sen, which was not conducive to the national interests and unconstitutional, and terminated her post as prime minister according to the Constitution. This ruling came into effect from the date when the Constitutional Court suspended her post as prime minister on July 1st.
On June 18 this year, a recording of the conversation between Peetonthan and Huntsen was released from the Cambodian side. In the conversation, Peetonthan called Huntsen "Uncle", asked Huntsen to help solve the border issue between the two countries, and even criticized a Thai army front commander for escalating tensions.
Petongtan's move was accused of damaging the dignity and image of the country. Thirty-six Thai senators asked the Constitutional Court to investigate whether Petongtan violated the Constitution and political moral standards.
Ms. Petuntan has defended herself by saying that her call with Mr. Hun Sen was for the purpose of maintaining peace and security at the border, and that the wording was a "private communication tactic," a diplomatic tactic that did not violate the Constitution.
Petontan: Accept the verdict
Mr. Petonthan did not go to the Constitutional Court on the 29th, but went to the prime minister's palace on the afternoon to hear the outcome of the ruling via live broadcast.
After the court's ruling, Petontan told the media at the Prime Minister's Office that he respected the ruling of the Constitutional Court, but reiterated that his original intention was for the national interest and that his most important thing was always the lives of the people. He hoped that all parties could unite and restore political stability in the future.
Petuntan was born in 1986, the youngest daughter of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and is currently the leader of the Thai Party.
On August 16, 2024, Petonthan won a majority vote in the Special Assembly of the House of Representatives of Thailand and was elected as the new Prime Minister of Thailand.
How many are the new Prime Minister?
The Thai constitution stipulates that when the prime minister's office is terminated, all cabinet members must also step down. The lower house of parliament will be responsible for selecting a new prime minister of Thailand. Acting Prime Minister Putan will lead the rest of the cabinet to continue to perform caretaker duties until the new cabinet is inaugurated. The Thai constitution does not stipulate the time for selecting a new prime minister.
There are currently five eligible candidates, namely:
The main candidate for the Thai party is guessed to be Gerson Nedicili
Proud Thai Party leader Anutin
Former Prime Minister
Members of the Thai Unity Founding Party, Pira Ram Sharapova.
Member of the Democratic Party, Julian Lassanaweissy.
Analysts believe that the current fragile ruling coalition, which has a narrow majority in the lower house of parliament, lacks a prominent candidate to succeed the prime minister, and the lower house may undergo multiple rounds of voting to determine the new prime minister.
Whether the lower house of parliament will be re-elected is unclear
In addition, the discussion in Thailand on whether the House of Commons can be dissolved and the election of the House of Commons can be re-held under the current situation lasted for many days.
If Deputy Prime Minister Putin eventually chooses to dissolve the House of Representatives, the law stipulates that elections must be held again within 45 to 60 days.But before that, political figures and petitioners are expected to refer to the Constitutional Court to decide whether the move is legal, and Thailand's politics may be further plunged into the "justice-political" cycle.
If the early election of the House of Commons is triggered, Thailand's political situation will face a reshuffle, and there is the possibility of street protests and political confrontations again.
Analysts pointed out that no matter what the outcome is, Thailand will face the risk of increasing political uncertainty and hindering economic recovery in the short term.