Bangkok, Aug 29 (AP) - Thailand's Constitutional Court has removed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from her post, citing a breach of constitutional ethics during a phone conversation with Cambodia's Senate President Hun Sen. This decision was announced on Friday.
The ruling takes immediate effect, ending Paetongtarn's tenure of approximately a year. She had already been suspended since July 1, pending the court's review, with Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai stepping in to fulfill her duties.
Under Phumtham's leadership, the cabinet will continue in a caretaker role until a new prime minister is approved by Parliament. There's also the possibility of the caretaker government dissolving Parliament and triggering a new election.
The controversy stems from a leaked phone call on June 15 between Paetongtarn and Hun Sen, intended to address and ease border tensions. However, the dialogue sparked widespread criticism within Thailand due to its perceived informality on critical national security matters and derogatory remarks about a Thai army general.
(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)