Suspended Thai Prime Minister, victim of conservative establishment?
The suspension of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra by the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, July 1, opens the way to a political reconfiguration. The conservative faction, maneuvering against the leader, is relying on the judges to push its advantage.
"Paetongtarn will be lucky if she lasts until the end of the month." The Diplomat is pessimistic about the political survival chances of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was suspended by the Constitutional Court on July 1 .
The ruling comes after 36 Conservative senators filed a lawsuit accusing the prime minister of breaching ethical standards over her phone conversation with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. During the leaked 17-minute recording, she addresses the former Cambodian prime minister and father of Hun Sen, her Cambodian counterpart , deferentially, appearing willing to do what he asks while simultaneously disparaging a Thai army general in charge of the border.
The phone call was a tactic, the Thai prime minister defended herself, while apologizing to the public. She said it was intended to ease relations between Bangkok and Phnom Penh, which had deteriorated since an armed confrontation along a disputed border point on May 28, during which a Cambodian soldier was killed.
In this case, "her chances of survival are close to zero. Because even if the Constitutional Court did not decide to remove her from her position,
Courrier International
