Paetongtarn Shinawatra to become Thailand’s youngest prime minister in new political shake-up

The vote to install the 37-year-old daughter of ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra came two days after Thailand’s Constitutional Court removed another prime minister from office, in a surprise decision that plunged the kingdom into further political uncertainty and raised fresh concern over the erosion of democratic rights.

Paetongtarn won 319 votes in the House of Representatives, after being nominated as the sole candidate by her Pheu Thai party’s ruling coalition to replace outgoing prime minister Srettha Thavisin. She still needs to be endorsed by King Maha Vajiralongkorn before she can officially take office and appoint a Cabinet.

Thaksin is one of Thailand’s most influential figures: his economic and populist policies enabled him to build a political machine that has dominated the country’s politics for the past two decades despite his ouster in a 2006 coup.

His youngest daughter will be Thailand’s second woman prime minister, after her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra - Thaksin’s sister.

Speaking to reporters Friday at her party headquarters in Bangkok, Paetongtarn thanked her supporters and said she felt “honored” by the decision.

“I will do my best in this position,” she said.

A political newcomer, Paetongtarn was one of three prime ministerial candidates for Pheu Thai ahead of national elections in May last year and made international headlines when she gave birth just two weeks before the vote.

Her appointment adds another twist to a years-long saga that has shaken up Thailand’s already-turbulent political landscape.

Challenges ahead

Srettha’s dismissal on Wednesday was the latest blow to the Thaksin-backed Pheu Thai, which has frequently run afoul of Thailand’s conservative establishment – a small but powerful clique of military, royalist and business elites.

Political parties allied to Thaksin have struggled to hold on to power, having been forced out due to coups or court decisions.

Paetongtarn’s aunt was removed from office before the military seized power in a 2014 coup, and her father went into self-imposed exile in 2006 for more than 15 years to escape corruption charges after the military toppled his government.

Her uncle Somchai Wongsawat was briefly prime minister in 2008 but was removed in a court ruling.

In navigating a febrile political atmosphere while heading an 11-member coalition, Paetongtarn also inherits a host of challenges, including fixing Thailand’s sluggish economy and reviving Pheu Thai’s sliding popularity.

The party’s flagship digital wallet cash handout scheme has faced multiple delays and it’s unclear to what extent she will continue Srettha’s key economic policies.

Thaksin, a telecoms billionaire and former owner of Manchester City Football Club, returned to Thailand from exile in August last year.

He has retained an outsized grip on Thai politics and many saw him as continuing to influence the Pheu Thai party – firstly through his sister Yingluck and now through his daughter.

Thaksin’s dramatic return coincided with the Senate’s vote to appoint Srettha as the country’s 30th prime minister. Experts believe Thaksin struck a deal with the Thai establishment for his return and Srettha’s appointment, a claim he denies.

In a stunning about-face to win that vote, Pheu Thai joined with its former military rivals and became head of a multi-party governing coalition. The progressive Move Forward Party, which pulled off a shock election victory last year with its hugely popular reform agenda, was prevented from forming a government and forced into opposition.

Last week, the Constitutional Court accused Move Forward of “undermining the monarchy” and ordered it to be disbanded, in a blow to the vibrant progressive movement and effectively disenfranchising 14 million people.

The former members have since reconstituted the party under a new name.

On Wednesday, the same court ruled Srettha breached ethics rules set in the constitution by appointing a lawyer – and Thaksin aide – who had served prison time to the Cabinet.

The two decisions were widely seen by observers as judicial overreach that sent a chilling message to those pushing for meaningful reform.

“In light of recent rulings, Thailand should be seen as semi-autocratic at best because people’s votes practically don’t matter.  The conservative establishment has the power to veto and manipulate to get preferred outcomes,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University.

With a Shinawatra in power once again, it will likely further entrench a feeling for many young Thais that there is little hope for change within Thailand’s political system.

-CNN