Thailand’s army-stacked parliament will vote in an impeachment hearing against ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Friday, testing a fragile calm between the rural poor and the royalist establishment backed by the Bangkok middle class.
A guilty verdict on the charge of dereliction of duty could see Yingluck, Thailand’s first female prime minister, banned from politics for five years.
The charges against Yingluck, who was removed from office for abuse of power in May, concern her role in a loss-making rice buying scheme that helped bring her a landslide election win in 2011.
The government of coup leader Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has urged Yingluck’s supporters to stay out of the capital Bangkok this week, worried about a repeat of the street violence that has dogged the country in recent years.
Thailand is under martial law and public gatherings are banned.
Still, about 20 of Yingluck’s supporters gathered outside parliament earlier this month despite government warnings to stay away. Some held red roses and tried to raise pictures of Yingluck until police told them to put them away.
Peerasak Porchit, vice president of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), said the impeachment vote would again polarise the country.
“No matter which way it goes, there will be those who agree and those who disagree. It won’t please everyone,” said Peerasak.
Weng Tojirakarn, a former member of Yingluck’s government and protest leader, said her supporters may hold “symbolic protests” if she is banned from political office.
“A large demonstration will be difficult because martial law is in place but there may still be symbolic protests,” he said.
