Constitutional Court rules to end status of Caretaker PM Yingluck

BANGKOK, May 7 (TNA) - The Constitutional Court has ruled unanimously to end the status of Thailand's Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, as well as nine other Cabinet members present in the Cabinet meeting on September 6, 2011, including Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittirat Na Ranong and Caretaker Labor Minister Chalerm Yubamrung. The Constitutional Court handed the verdict on Wednesday afternoon, referring to a resolution of the Yingluck's Cabinet meeting on September 6, 2011 to transfer Thawil Pliensri from the secretary-general of the National Security Council (NSC) position to be an adviser to the prime minister. The Constitutional Court reasoned that it found the removal of Thawil was an illegitimate transfer of a permanent government official to pave the way for the promotion of Yingluck’s relative, Police General Priewpan Damapong, to the then national police chief, which was seen for personal interest and did not comply with a merit system. Thawil was succeeded as the NSC secretary-general by Police General Wichean Potephosree, the then national police chief. In response to the Constitutional Court’s ruling, the Pheu Thai Party issued a statement, saying that there was a conspiracy to overthrow Thailand's democratic rule and electoral system, referring to some Constitution-based organizations, the anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) and the Democrat Party, which have proposed a non-elected government and persecuted the ruling Pheu Thai Party, beginning even when it was the Thai Rak Thai Party and then the People’s Power Party. The Pheu Thai Party's statement also claimed that there were attempts to obstruct Thailand's next general election, tentatively set on July 20, 2014, and that the Constitutional Court took unusually quick actions in the case against the Yingluck Cabinet. The Pheu Thai Party, however, urged the remaining caretaker Cabinet and the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) to quickly issue a royal decree on setting the next general election date on July 20 and all political parties and all other concerned parties to cooperate, as, the statement stressed, a fair general election could solve domestic political strife. Earlier, the caretaker government announced that Yingluck, herself, would attend the ASEAN Summit 2014, held in Myanmar from May 10-11. But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that Thailand will participate in the upcoming 24th ASEAN Summit, held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar's capital, during the coming weekend. (TNA)