Court orders first female PM to step down

BANGKOK (AP):

Thailand's prime minister was ordered by a court to step down yesterday in a ruling that handed a victory to anti-government protesters, who have staged six months of street protests, but does little to resolve the country's political crisis.

The Constitutional Court found Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra guilty of abusing her power by transferring a senior civil servant in 2011 to another position. It ruled that the transfer was carried out to benefit her politically powerful family and, therefore, violated the constitution, an accusation she has denied.

The ruling also forced out nine Cabinet members, but left nearly two dozen others in their posts, including Deputy Prime Minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan, who was quickly appointed the new acting leader.

Claiming innocence

Looking relaxed, Yingluck appeared live on national television two hours after the verdict, to thank her supporters, emphasise that she was an elected leader, and assert her innocence.

"We held true to the principles of honesty in running the country, and never acted corruptly, as we were accused," said Yingluck, 46, who swept to power nearly three years ago as the country's first female prime minister.

The judgment is the latest development in Thailand's long-running political crisis. It was a victory for Yingluck's opponents, mostly from the urban elite and those in the south, who have been engaged in vociferous and sometimes violent street protests in Bangkok, demanding she step down to make way for an interim unelected leader.