National —
At 5:00 PM on August 14th, 2024, Parit Wacharasindhu, a Member of Parliament (MP) from the People’s Party, expressed his party’s concerns following the Constitutional Court’s decision to remove Srettha Thavisin from the position of Thai Prime Minister.
Parit voiced his party’s disagreement with the ruling, stressing that while political leaders should uphold ethics and integrity, the interpretation of ethics varies. He argued that ethical issues should be judged by the public rather than being monopolized by the Constitutional Court and independent bodies, as this could lead to the removal of elected officials, as seen in Srettha’s case.
The People’s Party believed this event highlights the urgent need for a new constitution and a review of the powers of the Constitutional Court and independent agencies. Parit emphasized that ethical standards should be considered a matter of political responsibility, and his party will continue to work towards changes that benefit the public.
When asked about concerns over recent court decisions, including the dissolution of the Move Forward Party and Srettha’s case, Parit acknowledged that these incidents raised questions about the role and powers of the Constitutional Court. He suggested that a constitutional amendment is necessary to review these powers and ensure they are appropriately balanced.
On the same day, it was reported that discussions were underway at the Pheu Thai Party headquarters, Chan Song La residence, following Srettha’s removal. Party members and coalition partners were considering who would take on the role of the 31st Prime Minister.
Pheu Thai has proposed Chaikasem Nitisiri, a prime ministerial candidate, to assume the position, with the current ministerial quotas for coalition parties remaining unchanged to ensure continuity in governance. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Pheu Thai’s leader, is reportedly not ready to take on the role of Thai Prime Minister.
Pheu Thai is scheduled to hold a meeting at the Parliament building on August 15th at 9:00 AM, followed by a coalition meeting at 10:00 AM.
In a related development, at 7:10 PM, it was announced by the Secretary-General of the House of Representatives Pol. SubLt. Apat Sukhanan that the parliamentary session scheduled for August 16th has been canceled.
Instead, a special session will be held on August 16th at 10:00 AM to consider the approval of the new Thai Prime Minister, as outlined in Section 159 of the Constitution of Thailand.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
