Thailand’s Constitutional Court sacked Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her Cabinet on Friday (Aug 29) over her handling of the country’s border row with Cambodia.
Paetongtarn was suspended on Jul 1, after being accused of failing to stand up for Thailand in a June telephone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, which was leaked online.
A nine-judge panel ruled by six to three that she had not upheld the ethical standards required of a prime minister and removed her from office, throwing Thailand into political uncertainty, with no obvious candidate on hand to lead the fragile ruling coalition in parliament.
“Her actions have led to a loss of trust, prioritising personal interest over national interest, which fuelled public suspicion that she was siding with Cambodia and diminished confidence in her as PM among Thai citizens,” the ruling read out by one of the judges said.
In a short address after the verdict, Paetongtarn said she accepts the court’s decision, adding that she did her best to act in the national interest. Catch up on developments:
