Srettha Thavisin, the prime minister, was dismissed by a Thai prosecutor for appointing a former prosecutor who was once imprisoned to his cabinet.
The Constitutional Court determined that Mr. Srettha had displayed “defiant behavior” in violation of the “rules on morals.”
The 67-year-old Srettha, who has been in power for less than a year, is the second PM in 16 years to be removed by the same judge.
Before Thailand’s congress convenes to choose a new prime minister, he may be replaced by an interim president.
” I’m convinced in my honesty … I feel sorry, but I’m not saying I disagree with the ruling”, he said at a press conference shortly after the ruling. The judge’s ruling is finalized and cannot be appealed.
With Mr. Srettha’s termination, he has now been replaced by the excessive energy of Thailand’s constitutional court, which has affected so many other events and administrations.
Bribery is widespread in Thai politics, and officials with more severe convictions have been permitted to assist in the past. In Thailand, politics is not known for its morality.
Most Thai people will interpret this as a social decision, even though it is unknown who was advocating it.
Around 40 senators petitioned the court to remove the prime minister from his position in May after the court heard that Pichit Chuenban, who had recently received a six-month sentence for attempted bribery, had been given a six-month sentence.
Five of the nine judges on Wednesday determined that Mr. Srettha had appointed a lawyer with a criminal faith to his cupboard, despite him quitting after only 19 times.
Thailand will have to go through a lot of lobby negotiation as a new prime minister as the country struggles to revive its sluggish economy.
Hope that the nation was then putting the democratic turbulence, including two military dictatorships that have shaken it for the past two decades, have turned out to be excessive.
Mr. Srettha’s election as prime minister came merely last August, bringing an end to nine years of Thai military rule.
His arrest was also the outcome of a social deal that saw the fresh, reformist Move Forward party lose the most chairs and votes in the general election of last year.
The military-appointed senators prevented Move Forward from form the government despite its gorgeous victory, which gave Thailand hope for a new beginning.
The referendum’s second-biggest success Pheu Thai finally struck a deal with different army-backed parties to form a ruling coalition, without Walk Forward- and Mr Srettha found himself at the helm.
Last week, the constitutional court dissolved the Move Forward party for making unconstitutional campaign promises and banned party leaders – 11 MPs – from politics for10 years.
Thanyarat Doksone provided further reporting in Bangkok.