Yingluck's Pheu Thai Party denounces court ruling as 'conspiracy'

Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra addresses reporters in Bangkok on May 7, 2014. The party of the ousted Thai prime minister issued a statement on Wednesday to denounce the constitutional court's ruling against Ms Yingluck Shinawatra as r
Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra addresses reporters in Bangkok on May 7, 2014. The party of the ousted Thai prime minister issued a statement on Wednesday to denounce the constitutional court's ruling against Ms Yingluck Shinawatra as relentless conspiracy to try to remove the party from power. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

BANGKOK (THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The party of the ousted Thai prime minister issued a statement on Wednesday to denounce the constitutional court's ruling against Ms Yingluck Shinawatra as relentless conspiracy to try to remove the party from power.

The Pheu Thai Party also called on the people, who disagreed with the ruling, to express their opposition through peaceful demonstrations or any other peaceful way.

It said it would send former MPs to meet their constituents to explain the party's belief that the court's ruling was a conspiracy against the party.

It also denounced the ruling as a virtual coup against a democratic government.

"The Pheu Thai has been repeatedly pointing out that there has been a conspiracy to topple the democratic ruling system and to annul elections as well as destroying the democratic side all the time through cooperation between certain political parties, the People's Democratic Reform Committee and certain constitutional organisations," the party said in the statement.

The party pointed out that there was conspiracy against it because the constitutional court and the National Anti-Corruption Commission unusually rushed to conclude cases against Ms Yingluck without allowing her and the government to provide enough defence witnesses.

The party also alleged that the ruling violated Article 180 and Article 181 of the Constitution.

The constitutional court on Wednesday declared Ms Yingluck guilty of abuse of power, removing her and nine Cabinet members from office. The verdict centres on the unlawful transfer of a senior official in 2011, which the court deemed was engineered to benefit Ms Yingluck's Puea Thai party as well as her brother-in-law.

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