Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said today that he is confident that the recent appointment of Phichit Chuenban, lawyer for the Shinawatra family, as PM’s Office minister, is legally sound, as ruled by the Council of State, and that he made the appointment in good faith.
The prime minister and Phichit are currently embroiled in a legal challenge, after a group of senators sought a ruling from the Constitutional Court to strip them of their ministerial status. The senators charge that the appointment of Phichit breached the Constitution because he was sentenced to six months in prison, without suspension, on a bribery conviction in the “snack box” scandal over a decade ago.
Speaking to the Thai media in Italy during his European tour, the prime minister said that he was not phased by the legal challenge and that his legal team is ready to explain the matter to the court.
In his capacity as prime minister, however, he did say that he worries about every issue relating to the government and the people and he has respect for the court.
The court is scheduled to rule this Thursday on whether to accept the senators’ complaint for consideration. If it does, it would be normal practice for the court to suspend both the prime minister and Phichit from duty, pending their deliberations and ruling.
Political observers predict that the court’s acceptance of the case would have serious political ramifications, to the extent that the entire cabinet may be dissolved if the prime minister, as head of the government, is suspended from duty.
