Senate to seek Paetongtarn’s removal as prime minister

Senate Speaker Mongkol Surasajja has formally asked the National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, for alleged gross ethical misconduct, over the leaked conversation Paetongtarn recently had with Cambodia’s Hun Sen.

Separately, he has also asked the Constitutional Court to consider terminating Paetongtarn’s premiership, in accordance with Sections 82, 170(3) and (4) and 160(4) and (5) of the Constitution, in connection with the conversation.

The Senate Speaker’s move today follows a petition from a group of senators, led by General Sawat Tassana, demanding the removal of the prime minister.

General Sawat, and members of the Senate Military Affairs Committee, issued a statement on Wednesday, expressing concern over the prime minister’s conduct relating to the controversy which, they claim, may cause serious damage to the country and the loss of public trust in her.

The senators say that they can’t afford to leave “an individual, who is on the opposite side to Thailand, to continue to perform their duty in national administration for even a single second.”

It is necessary that she be stripped of her premiership, for being dishonest and committing acts of gross ethical misconduct, according to the statement.