Tensions Simmer in Thailand After PM Ousted | WPN World People News

Thai police say a grenade was thrown early Thursday at the home of one of the judges of the country's Constitutional Court, which a day earlier ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Police say no one was injured in the early morning attack, though the grenade did cause minor damage to a roof and a vehicle at the judge's Bangkok home. A bank and hospital were also damaged by grenades overnight.

The Constitutional Court on Wednesday unanimously ruled to remove Yingluck and nine of her cabinet members from power, saying she improperly reassigned a national security chief in 2011.

She was replaced as caretaker prime minister by Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisan , who is a close ally of Yingluck and her influential brother, ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The new acting prime minister said Wednesday holding new elections, which are set for July, would be a top priority.

"Certainly, the caretaker government has two main duties. The first one is to make sure that the election of the new government happens as soon as possible, which means that the new government will come from democratic elections, and after we have the new government, the caretaker government will finish its term," said Niwatthamrong.

For six months, opposition protesters had tried to force Yingluck's government from power, saying she is corrupt and a puppet of her brother, a divisive figure in Thai politics.

Despite the ruling, many protesters are not satisfied, since much of Yingluck's government remains in place. They are calling for a "final offensive" in the form of a mass protest Friday.

Supporters of Yingluck and Thaksin have also called for a large rally Saturday to protest the ruling, which they say was politically motivated.

Meanwhile, Thailand's Anti-Corruption Commission is set to meet Thursday to possibly decide whether Yingluck is also guilty of negligence in a separate case involving a rice subsidy program.

The rice-buying scheme, which critics say was wasteful and corrupt, is emblematic of the populous policies that won Yingluck support among the rural poor but resentment among the middle class.

If found guilty, Yingluck faces a possible five-year ban from politics, ruining her chances of an immediate political comeback.

Source: Voice of America