Thailand’s anti-graft body would on thursday decide on indictment of ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in the controversial rice-pledging case, the second verdict faced by her in as many days.
Yingluck was on Wednesday dismissed from office by the Constitutional Court for abuse of power for the benefit of her powerful family, prolonging the country’s political turmoil.
National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) member Preecha lertkamolmas said the NACC focus on deciding whether 46-year-old Yingluck had abused her authority in violation of the Constitution causing damage to the country.The NACC would later make a decision on criminal charges against her, Preecha added.
The Cabinet immediately appointed Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan as the caretaker premier after the court unanimously ruled that Yingluck had abused power to remove Thawil Pliensri as secretary-general of the National Security Council. Her nine cabinet ministers were also dismissed from office after the court found them complicit in the transfer. Niwattumrong is ranked second in seniority to Surapong Tovichakchaikul, who was also removed, said Prompong Nopparit, a spokesman for the ruling Pheu Thai Party.
“Niwattumrong is capable and experienced, as he has served the administration for a long time. He will be able to coordinate all parties for the benefit of the people,” he was quoted by Nation as saying. Meanwhile, interim premier Niwattumrong yesterday said he will ensure the upcoming general elections, planned for July 20, can proceed uninterrupted.
“I will take care of the people and the economy,” he said.Yingluck, Thailand’s first woman premier, had been in office for two years, nine months and two days since her Pheu Thai Party won the 2011 election.
Her victory displeased the elite and urban middle class, which believed she was merely a clone of her elder brother Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in 2006. Her attempt through an amnesty bill to engineer a pardon for Thaksin, who was sentenced to prison, sparked a series of mass protests in Bangkok led by the opposition backed People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).
In a statement after the charter court’s judgement, Yingluck said she was proud of performing the duty of prime minister for the past years. Her regret was not having a chance to serve the country and the people any more.
PDRC spokesman Akanat Promphan said that since the prime minister was ousted, Thailand now has no government. It was a good chance for his group to set up a “people’s government”. Yingluck’s cabinet has no legitimacy to pick anybody to lead the caretaker government, he claimed. PTI