Amid the political crisis over the leaked recording of the Cambodian Senate's Speaker Hun Sen, suspended Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has confirmed that there are no plans to resign, despite public concerns about her " earliest withdrawal" to avoid a favorable ruling from the Constitutional Court.
The Bangkok Post reported that at a press conference on August 4, Mr. Prommin Lertsuridej - General Secretary of Ms. Paetongtarn - frankly stated: "I can confirm that you have no intention of resigning at this time. Everything is being done completely in accordance with the law, and we believe in the authenticity of our actions.
Previously, a recording that went viral on social media revealed that the voice was said to be that of Ms. Paetongtarn, in which she tried to reassure Mr. Hun Sen amid escalating tensions on the Thai-Cambodian border. Ms. Paetongtarn later confirmed that her voice was mine, but affirmed that this was an action to prevent a security crisis and protect national interests.
Some media sources said that Ms. Paetongtarn is considering resigning to " withdraw in honor" before the Constitutional Court issues a verdict, to avoid the risk of being banned from political activities if she is found to violate public ethics. However, Mr. Prommin completely dismissed it.
Ms. Paetongtarn believes in her transparency. All steps are carefully consulted with the National Security Council and the military. Unofficial calls to outside leaders are only to calm the situation and prevent conflict escalation, he said.
Despite being suspended from office under the constitutional Court's order, Ms. Paetongtarn, daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is still showing respect for the verdict and awaiting the final decision.
She hopes the verdict will reflect her commitment and goodwill in leading Thailand out of the crisis and towards peace, Prommin stressed.
The case is still under consideration by the Thai Constitutional Court. Observers said that, although the outcome is not yet clear, Ms. Paetongtarn's failure to choose to " strategically withdraw" shows that she still hopes to maintain her political position in the context of deep differentiation within Thai politics.
