This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/07/thai-court-orders-yingluck-shinawatra-resign
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Thai court orders Yingluck Shinawatra to step down as PM | Thai court orders Yingluck Shinawatra to step down as PM |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Thailand's caretaker prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, has been ordered to step down after a court found her guilty of abusing her power – a decision that could result in huge protests after six months of political impasse. | Thailand's caretaker prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, has been ordered to step down after a court found her guilty of abusing her power – a decision that could result in huge protests after six months of political impasse. |
| The constitutional court ruled that Yingluck had acted with a hidden agenda when she transferred a senior civil servant to another position, shortly after taking office in 2011. | |
| "The prime minister's status has come to an end," one of the judges said in a statement broadcast live on television. "Yingluck can no longer stay in her position acting as caretaker prime minister." | |
| The commerce minister, Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan, is expected to replace Yingluck as prime minister. A general election is planned for 20 July. | The commerce minister, Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan, is expected to replace Yingluck as prime minister. A general election is planned for 20 July. |
| Yingluck's Pheu Thai party released a statement soon after the decision, calling the court's ruling a conspiracy to remove the democratically elected government and a virtual coup, according to the English-language Nation newspaper. | |
| Yingluck's supporters – who mainly come from Thailand's rural north – have vowed to hold a rally on Saturday and argue that the courts have sought to topple her at the behest of anti-government protesters, who have tried since November to remove her from office. | Yingluck's supporters – who mainly come from Thailand's rural north – have vowed to hold a rally on Saturday and argue that the courts have sought to topple her at the behest of anti-government protesters, who have tried since November to remove her from office. |
| The protesters accuse her of acting as a proxy of her brother Thaksin, the former PM who was removed from government in 2006 and now lives in self-exile in Dubai. They have staged various rallies and sit-ins at government buildings. | The protesters accuse her of acting as a proxy of her brother Thaksin, the former PM who was removed from government in 2006 and now lives in self-exile in Dubai. They have staged various rallies and sit-ins at government buildings. |
| Liam McCarthy, an expert on south-east Asia at Nottingham Trent University, said: "What is interesting is how such a bureaucratic, or intellectual, tactic will play with the rural communities of Thailand. They may see such a play as tricking them out of their chosen leaders." | Liam McCarthy, an expert on south-east Asia at Nottingham Trent University, said: "What is interesting is how such a bureaucratic, or intellectual, tactic will play with the rural communities of Thailand. They may see such a play as tricking them out of their chosen leaders." |
| On Tuesday Yingluck appeared in court to deny the charges against her. | On Tuesday Yingluck appeared in court to deny the charges against her. |
| Yingluck stood accused of removing Thailand's then chief of national security, Thawil Pliensri – who had been appointed by the opposition – in order to promote her brother-in-law in another post, as national police chief. | Yingluck stood accused of removing Thailand's then chief of national security, Thawil Pliensri – who had been appointed by the opposition – in order to promote her brother-in-law in another post, as national police chief. |
| Although such a move was legal, the court ruled, it was done too quickly and without "moral principles". The court also ruled that the nine current cabinet ministers who were in office at the time of the transfer must also step down – among them the labour minister, finance minister and foreign minister, Thai media reported. | |
| Another ruling against Yingluck is expected on Thursday, when Thailand's national anti-corruption commission decides whether she failed to act against corruption in a £14.5bn rice-pledging scheme. | |