Thailand’s parliament elected Paetongtarn Shinawatra their youngest prime minister on Friday, a day after her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, was removed by a court order.
The 37-year-old Shinawatra received 319 votes, which is nearly two-thirds of the house. With this victory, she became the second female to hold the prime minister position after her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra, as reported by Reuters.
At stake for Paetongtarn could be the legacy and political future of the billionaire Shinawatra family, whose once unstoppable populist juggernaut suffered its first defeat in over two decades last year, and had to do a deal with its bitter enemies in the military to form a government.
This was her first election, and at 37 years old, she campaigned for weeks, even while pregnant.
Although her Pheu Thai party finished second in the 2023 election, they were able to form a government after the election winner was blocked by military-backed lawmakers.
Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand last August after 15 years in exile. His party, Pheu Thai, formed an unexpected alliance with military-backed groups, despite their history of rivalry. With recent prime minister Srettha Thavisin removed by court order, Paetongtarn Shinawatra now faces the challenge of leading with no prior elected experience. “She will face a lot of pressure and will need her father’s support,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist.
What happened in Thailand that led to the new election?
Just after completing a year as the PM, Srettha violated the constitution over a cabinet appointment. The court stated that Srettha had grossly breached rules on ethics.
The decision followed allegations that Srettha’s actions were not in compliance with constitutional provisions related to ethical conduct. The court did not detail the specific cabinet appointment in question.
In a 5-4 decision, the judges determined that Srettha violated regulations by selecting a lawyer with a criminal record to serve in his cabinet. The case was initiated by a group of former senators who had been appointed by Thailand’s previous ruling junta.
This ruling follows a decision made by the same court last week, which resulted in the dissolution of the primary opposition party, the Move Forward Party (MFP), and a 10-year ban from politics for its former leader.
The fall of Srettha will be a stark reminder of the kind of hostility Paetongtarn could face, with Thailand trapped in a tumultuous cycle of coups and court rulings that have disbanded political parties and toppled multiple governments and prime ministers.
The 37-year-old Shinawatra received 319 votes, which is nearly two-thirds of the house. With this victory, she became the second female to hold the prime minister position after her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra, as reported by Reuters.
At stake for Paetongtarn could be the legacy and political future of the billionaire Shinawatra family, whose once unstoppable populist juggernaut suffered its first defeat in over two decades last year, and had to do a deal with its bitter enemies in the military to form a government.
This was her first election, and at 37 years old, she campaigned for weeks, even while pregnant.
Although her Pheu Thai party finished second in the 2023 election, they were able to form a government after the election winner was blocked by military-backed lawmakers.
Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand last August after 15 years in exile. His party, Pheu Thai, formed an unexpected alliance with military-backed groups, despite their history of rivalry. With recent prime minister Srettha Thavisin removed by court order, Paetongtarn Shinawatra now faces the challenge of leading with no prior elected experience. “She will face a lot of pressure and will need her father’s support,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist.
What happened in Thailand that led to the new election?
Just after completing a year as the PM, Srettha violated the constitution over a cabinet appointment. The court stated that Srettha had grossly breached rules on ethics.
The decision followed allegations that Srettha’s actions were not in compliance with constitutional provisions related to ethical conduct. The court did not detail the specific cabinet appointment in question.
In a 5-4 decision, the judges determined that Srettha violated regulations by selecting a lawyer with a criminal record to serve in his cabinet. The case was initiated by a group of former senators who had been appointed by Thailand’s previous ruling junta.
This ruling follows a decision made by the same court last week, which resulted in the dissolution of the primary opposition party, the Move Forward Party (MFP), and a 10-year ban from politics for its former leader.
The fall of Srettha will be a stark reminder of the kind of hostility Paetongtarn could face, with Thailand trapped in a tumultuous cycle of coups and court rulings that have disbanded political parties and toppled multiple governments and prime ministers.
