PM Srettha Thavisin Faces Constitutional Court Showdown Over Controversial Appointment

(CTN News) – Thai political tensions are soaring, with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin at the centre of the storm. The plot revolves around his most recent cabinet upheaval, which sparked outrage by placing Pichit Chuenban, a former convict, as PM’s Office Minister. This difficult judgement has divided observers down the middle.

Former senator Wanchai Sornsiri believes the Constitutional Court will likely dismiss the Prime Minister’s argument. According to him, no court has issued a definitive ruling on the exact offence that would preclude Pichit from holding the ministerial position.

Pichit’s shady past dates back to 2008, when he was involved in an attempted bribery incident while representing former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a high-profile land dispute. He did serve six months in prison, but it was for contempt of court, not bribery.

Wanchai also noted that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin consulted the Council of State on this appointment, demonstrating his readiness to follow legal rules. However, the political situation is far from stable.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, former Democrat MP Thepthai Senpong has made a crystal-ball forecast that has everyone’s attention.

According to Thepthai, Srettha Thavisin  may be leaving and being replaced by Anutin Charnvirakul, the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party. Anutin has the support of conservative circles and has been cosying up to prominent personalities, as seen by a recent golf date with Thaksin at a posh resort in Nakhon Ratchasima. This meeting is viewed as the beginning of a new political arrangement.

Former Democrat MP Thepthai Senpong’s Prediction: Could Anutin Charnvirakul Replace Srettha Thavisin?

So, how did all this mayhem start? The drama began in May, when a group of 40 caretaker senators petitioned the Constitutional Court to remove Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

The senators contended that by choosing Pichit, who had a tainted record, including a jail sentence for attempting to bribe Supreme Court officials with a paper bag containing a hefty 2 million baht, Srettha Thavisin had violated the constitution.

With the stakes rising by the day, Pichit chose to abandon ship and resigned from his ministerial position just before the court approved the petition, which many saw as a smart manoeuvre to avoid a legal nightmare for Srettha Thavisin.

All eyes are now on August 14, when the court will make its final decision on Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s political future. Will he escape uninjured, bolstered by legal technicalities and judicious consultations, or will he fail, clearing the door for a new political actor backed by Thailand’s conservative blocs? Stay tuned as the high-stakes drama develops.