BANGKOK, May 7 (RIA Novosti) - The Constitutional Court of Thailand has ordered to relieve caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra from office over the unconstitutional sacking of the country’s head of national security in 2011, Thai PBS news channel said Wednesday.
The court agreed with the opinion of a group of senators that believe Shinawatra received personal gain from removing National Security Council Secretary-General Thawil Pliensri, and replacing him with the head of police, and in place of the police chief, she placed a relative in the position.
The court’s decision is feared to spark off a new round of protests across the country, since Ms. Shinawatra remains very popular in Thailand’s rural areas. The pro-government Red Shirt movement earlier threatened to take to the streets if the premier is charged with the abuse of power.
The Prime Minister has faced a lot of criticism over the past several months, with many accusing her of being a screen for her ousted brother who is believed to be pulling the strings from abroad. In March, the court voided the results of the February general election that was won by Yingluck’s Pheu Thai party.
