BANGKOK, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Two major rulings by Thailand's Constitutional Court in a week have upended Thai politics, disbanding the largest parties in the parliament before removing Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office on ethical violation.

In a five-vote-to-four verdict, the Constitutional Court on Wednesday removed Srettha from office for breaching ethical standards under the country's constitution.

The court ruled that Srettha's appointment of Pichit Chuenban as minister of the Prime Minister's Office, despite knowing that he was unqualified to hold a political post, constituted a serious ethical breach and was disqualified under the constitution.

Pichit was a lawyer of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and was accused of bribery when representing Thaksin in a court case.

On Aug. 7, the Constitutional Court dissolved the main opposition Move Forward Party, ruling its efforts to amend a law against defaming the kingdom's royal family violated the constitution.

Srettha, who has been in office less than one year, said after the ruling that he respected the court verdict. "I performed duties to the best of my ability and adhered to ethical principles throughout my nearly one-year tenure in office."

The charter court also dismissed Srettha's cabinet but the remaining members will continue to perform caretaker duties. The Thai parliament is expected to convene on Friday to select the Southeast Asian nation's next prime minister.

The prime minister candidates are required to have been nominated by their party prior to the election. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 37-year-old daughter of Thaksin and 75-year-old Chaikasem Nitisiri are two eligible candidates from the Pheu Thai Party.

Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who leads the second-largest party in the coalition, is also an eligible candidate. Anutin was quoted by local media as saying after Srettha's dismissal that the coalition remains cohesive.

Anusorn Tamajai, dean of the Faculty of Economics, University of Thai Chamber of Commerce, told Xinhua that though Srettha is removed from office, the coalition government representing conservative establishments will still remain in power.

He believes that while there may be a brief political vacuum during this period, it is unlikely to have a significant impact on the overall political landscape.

But the latest developments show that the political stability could still be fragile even if a new prime minister is quickly confirmed.

After the general election last year, Srettha, a former property tycoon, became the prime minister following a reconciliation between Thaksin's Pheu Thai party and the conservative parties of the previous government of Prayut Chan-o-cha. The two sides and their supporters were against each other for more than two decades but decided to join forces in the face of the emerging Move Forward Party, which came first in the election.

On the same day Srettha was voted as prime minister, Thaksin returned to Thailand from exile. He was soon pardoned and granted bail from his prison sentence.

However, the case against Srettha was filed by 40 senators of the previous senate, who were widely believed to be linked to the conservatives.

The frequent changes in leadership, such as the replacement of the prime minister and cabinet reshuffles during Srettha's short tenure, could disrupt the continuity of key policies, said Anusorn.

These include Srettha's infrastructure initiative of a land bridge project to connect southern Thailand's provinces, reclassifying cannabis as a narcotic, and legalizing casinos. Additionally, the political instability may cause fluctuations in the stock market, prompting foreign investors to adopt a cautious stance, he said.

The latest political upheaval came when Thailand is struggling to catch up in economic growth with its Southeast Asian neighbors. In July, the World Bank trimmed Thailand's economic growth to 2.4 percent in 2024, down from the 2.8 percent forecast in April, mainly due to weaker-than-expected exports and contracted public investment earlier this year. Enditem

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