Embattled Thai PM reshuffles cabinet as crisis rages

BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra began a cabinet reshuffle on Monday as a political and judicial crisis sparked by a leaked phone call threatens to sink her government.

The 38-year-old daughter of controversial former premier Thaksin Shinawatra began handing out ministerial posts vacated when her main coalition partner quit last week -- a move that nearly took her government down.

Paetongtarn, in office for less than a year, is hanging on by a thread, and on top of the party horse-trading she now faces a Constitutional Court case that could see her barred from office.

She faced calls to quit or call an election last week as critics accused her of undermining the country and insulting the army during the leaked call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, which focused on a festering border dispute. The conservative Bhumjaithai party quit the governing coalition led by Paetongtarn´s Pheu Thai party over the call, leaving it with a wafer-thin majority.

But the crisis stabilised as other coalition partners said they would stay, and Pheu Thai secretary general Sorawong Thienthong told AFP on Monday that all 10 remaining parties were sticking with the government.

“None of the other parties are pulling out -- the remaining parties are staying united with the government,” Sorawong said. “The prime minister has discussed the reshuffle with other political leaders.”