Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra Ousted

Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will step down.
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It’s been a bad few weeks for prime ministers. South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won resigned late last month over improper handling of and response to a ferry disaster that left over 200 people dead or missing. Now Thailand’s prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, is being forced to resign after the Constitutional Court ruled that she had abused her power by “improperly transferring” security head Thawil Pliensri.

The court ruled against Ms. Yingluck and the nine cabinet members that were directly involved in the actions in question, saying that a relative of hers had benefited from the transfer of the opposition-appointed Thawil Pliensri. The ruling effectively ordered Ms. Yingluck and the cabinet members out of office.

“The prime minister’s status has ended, Yingluck can no longer stay in her position acting as caretaker prime minister,” said one judge in a statement, according to BBC News. Ms. Yingluck was elected to her position democratically two years ago and maintained her innocence throughout the case, which has been ongoing since November 2013.

“We held true to the principles of honesty in running the country, and never acted corruptly, as we were accused,” she said.

The court’s decision is binding, however, so innocent or not, Ms. Yingluck will have to comply with the order. Cabinet members that were not implicated and ousted by the court have decided that Ms. Yingluck’s position will be filled by Commerce Minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan.

The judges’ decision is a middle ground for the case. Anti-government protestors had wanted the entire cabinet removed, yet only specific cabinet members have been ordered out. On the other hand, government supporters  “stated they would view the verdict as a judicial coup, and reason enough to mobilise against it,” according to Jonathan Head of BBC.