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| Ousted Thai Premier Faces Impeachment Amid Rising Tension | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| BANGKOK — Thailand remained deadlocked Thursday as a threadbare caretaker government headed by a new and relatively obscure acting prime minister urged fresh elections but an emboldened opposition continued its campaign for a suspension of democracy. | BANGKOK — Thailand remained deadlocked Thursday as a threadbare caretaker government headed by a new and relatively obscure acting prime minister urged fresh elections but an emboldened opposition continued its campaign for a suspension of democracy. |
| The country’s Election Commission cast doubt on whether elections could be held July 20, as it had previously proposed. | The country’s Election Commission cast doubt on whether elections could be held July 20, as it had previously proposed. |
| “We may have to postpone it,” Phuchong Nutawong, the commission’s secretary general, told reporters. | “We may have to postpone it,” Phuchong Nutawong, the commission’s secretary general, told reporters. |
| The uncertainty over elections came a day after a court removed Yingluck Shinawatra as prime minister because of the illegal transfer of a civil servant three years ago. Antigovernment protesters have campaigned for six months to remove Ms. Yingluck and eradicate the influence of her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister and billionaire tycoon. | The uncertainty over elections came a day after a court removed Yingluck Shinawatra as prime minister because of the illegal transfer of a civil servant three years ago. Antigovernment protesters have campaigned for six months to remove Ms. Yingluck and eradicate the influence of her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister and billionaire tycoon. |
| On Thursday Ms. Yingluck’s legal troubles continued when Thailand’s anticorruption commission recommended that she be impeached, a process that could lead to a ban from politics. | On Thursday Ms. Yingluck’s legal troubles continued when Thailand’s anticorruption commission recommended that she be impeached, a process that could lead to a ban from politics. |
| The impeachment proceedings centered on a costly policy to subsidize rice farmers that the commission said Ms. Yingluck mismanaged. | The impeachment proceedings centered on a costly policy to subsidize rice farmers that the commission said Ms. Yingluck mismanaged. |
| Like the court decision removing Ms. Yingluck from office, which legal experts have criticized for being a disproportionately harsh punishment for the illegal transfer of a civil servant, the decision to launch impeachment proceedings appeared rushed and based on debatable legal reasoning. | Like the court decision removing Ms. Yingluck from office, which legal experts have criticized for being a disproportionately harsh punishment for the illegal transfer of a civil servant, the decision to launch impeachment proceedings appeared rushed and based on debatable legal reasoning. |
| Vicha Mahakun, the spokesman the National Anti-Corruption Commission, said Ms. Yingluck was being held accountable for damage to the country, not corruption. | Vicha Mahakun, the spokesman the National Anti-Corruption Commission, said Ms. Yingluck was being held accountable for damage to the country, not corruption. |
| “Even though at this stage it appears that the evidence is not clear that the accused took part in corruption or whether she allowed corruption or not, the accused did not govern the country as announced in Parliament,” Mr. Vicha said. | “Even though at this stage it appears that the evidence is not clear that the accused took part in corruption or whether she allowed corruption or not, the accused did not govern the country as announced in Parliament,” Mr. Vicha said. |
| The policy, which paid farmers twice the market price for rice, had resulted in “devastating damage to the country” and was an opportunity for fraud, he said. | The policy, which paid farmers twice the market price for rice, had resulted in “devastating damage to the country” and was an opportunity for fraud, he said. |
| While some commentators have said fresh elections are the only way out of the crisis, both the antigovernment protest movement and their allies in the opposition Democrat Party have threatened to block or boycott the elections, which they would likely lose. | While some commentators have said fresh elections are the only way out of the crisis, both the antigovernment protest movement and their allies in the opposition Democrat Party have threatened to block or boycott the elections, which they would likely lose. |
| As it has numerous times during the six months of antigovernment demonstrations, the country’s Election Commission on Thursday showed no urgency in setting a concrete date for fresh elections. | As it has numerous times during the six months of antigovernment demonstrations, the country’s Election Commission on Thursday showed no urgency in setting a concrete date for fresh elections. |
| The commission’s secretary general, Phuchong Nutawong, told reporters that the commission was unable to agree to the government’s request for a meeting in the coming days because members of the commission planned to attend a plowing ritual on Friday. | The commission’s secretary general, Phuchong Nutawong, told reporters that the commission was unable to agree to the government’s request for a meeting in the coming days because members of the commission planned to attend a plowing ritual on Friday. |
| The commission, which has been accused of sympathizing with the antigovernment movement, said the earliest it could meet was next Wednesday to discuss who had the legal authority to call elections. | The commission, which has been accused of sympathizing with the antigovernment movement, said the earliest it could meet was next Wednesday to discuss who had the legal authority to call elections. |
| “The Election Commission is not standing still,” Mr. Phuchong said. “But we have to invite all sides to deliberate.” | “The Election Commission is not standing still,” Mr. Phuchong said. “But we have to invite all sides to deliberate.” |
| Thailand has not had a fully functioning government since December when Ms. Yingluck dissolved Parliament and called for elections. Antigovernment protesters disrupted the elections, which were held in February, and a court later ruled that they were unconstitutional because of the blockage. | Thailand has not had a fully functioning government since December when Ms. Yingluck dissolved Parliament and called for elections. Antigovernment protesters disrupted the elections, which were held in February, and a court later ruled that they were unconstitutional because of the blockage. |
| The movement seeking to overthrow the government said it considered Ms. Yingluck’s removal from office Wednesday only a partial victory and plans to continue its campaign for an appointed government that would carry out unspecified reforms. | The movement seeking to overthrow the government said it considered Ms. Yingluck’s removal from office Wednesday only a partial victory and plans to continue its campaign for an appointed government that would carry out unspecified reforms. |
| The caretaker government is headed by Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan, a former business executive who was hastily named as acting prime minister on Wednesday after Ms. Yingluck’s removal. On Thursday he was put in charge of the finance ministry. Because of its caretaker status the government is barred by law from making major funding decisions. | The caretaker government is headed by Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan, a former business executive who was hastily named as acting prime minister on Wednesday after Ms. Yingluck’s removal. On Thursday he was put in charge of the finance ministry. Because of its caretaker status the government is barred by law from making major funding decisions. |
| Both the United Nations and the U.S. State Department voiced concern over the Thai crisis after Ms. Yingluck was forced out Wednesday. | Both the United Nations and the U.S. State Department voiced concern over the Thai crisis after Ms. Yingluck was forced out Wednesday. |
| Jen Psaki, a State Department spokeswoman, said at a briefing that a resolution to the country’s crisis “should include elections and an elected government.” | Jen Psaki, a State Department spokeswoman, said at a briefing that a resolution to the country’s crisis “should include elections and an elected government.” |
| A spokesman for Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, urged all sides to show “utmost restraint and show full respect for democratic principles.” | A spokesman for Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, urged all sides to show “utmost restraint and show full respect for democratic principles.” |
| A senior police official said Thursday that at least 15,000 security forces would be called up to maintain order as supporters and detractors of the government mass in separate demonstrations in the coming days. The movement vowing to overthrow the government plans to mass on Friday while government supporters said they would hold a demonstration Saturday. | A senior police official said Thursday that at least 15,000 security forces would be called up to maintain order as supporters and detractors of the government mass in separate demonstrations in the coming days. The movement vowing to overthrow the government plans to mass on Friday while government supporters said they would hold a demonstration Saturday. |