Thailand’s constitutional court has suspended prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra as it considers a petition seeking her dismissal, following a scandal over a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen.
The government is likely to be led by a deputy prime minister in a caretaker capacity with Ms Paetongtarn’s powers suspended from Tuesday.
The court accepted a petition from 36 senators accusing Ms Paetongtarn of dishonesty and violating ethical standards laid out in the constitution after her call with the former authoritarian leader of Cambodia triggered political turmoil.
The decision to suspend the prime minister from her duties was supported by seven of the nine judges, the statement by the court said.
The case against Ms Paetongtarn, 38, – the daughter of ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra – is the latest legal challenge against her after only 10 months in power.
She prompted outrage across the country after she was heard criticising the Thai army’s role in a border standoff with Cambodia in a 15 June phone call that was recorded and shared by Mr Hun Sen.
The criticism of the army is seen as a red line in a country where the military has significant clout. She has apologised and said her remarks were a negotiating tactic.
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