Senators call for PM Srettha’s exit after ex-con Cabinet pick

Forty former senators are pushing for the dismissal of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin over his decision to appoint Pichit Chuenban, an ex-convict, as a Cabinet minister. They announced plans to submit their closing statement to the Constitutional Court by the end of the month.

Somchai Swangkarn, a former Senator, revealed that the group is finalising a written closing statement for submission through the Senate speaker. According to Somchai, the statement will urge the court to hold the prime minister accountable for appointing an ineligible person to a ministerial position.

Despite the Thai premier’s assertion that he sought the Council of State’s opinion on the matter, Somchai pointed out discrepancies in the request submitted by the Cabinet secretariat.

The request did not ask the council for its opinion regarding the requirements for a Cabinet minister candidate under Section 160 (4) and (5) of the constitution, which demand that ministers uphold moral integrity and refrain from violating ethical standards for political office holders, said Somchai.

“By asking if Pichit meets the requirement under Section 160 (6) and (7), the cabinet secretariat tried to create the narrative that Pichit was eligible to assume the post.

“Had the Cabinet secretariat asked the council if Pichit meets the requirement under Section 160 (4) and (5), the answer would have been different.”

Contempt of court

The former senators filed the petition to remove the 62 year old Srettha as prime minister in May, arguing that Pichit was unfit for a Cabinet post due to his 2008 jail sentence for contempt of court, stemming from an attempt to bribe Supreme Court officials in a land case involving former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Pichit resigned from his position as PM’s Office Minister just before the court accepted the petition, a move seen by observers as an effort to spare PM Srettha from legal complications.

While the Constitutional Court agreed to hear the case against the Bangkok-born Srettha, it rejected the case against Pichit since he had already stepped down. The court is scheduled to deliver its ruling on the case against Srettha on August 14.

A source in the Cabinet previously mentioned that Pichit’s imprisonment in 2008 did not disqualify him from being appointed as a Cabinet minister because he was appointed 10 years after completing his jail term, as required by election law. However, whether Pichit meets the moral and ethical standards mandated by the constitution is a separate issue, reported Bangkok Post.

Former senator Wanchai Sornsiri also commented that Pichit was convicted only of contempt of court, not attempted bribery, which would have prevented him from assuming the ministerial post.

As the deadline for submitting the closing statement approaches, all eyes are on the Constitutional Court’s forthcoming decision, which will have significant implications for PM Srettha’s administration.