Bangkok, Thailand
CNN
—
Thailand’s parliament on Friday elected Paetongtarn Shinawatra as the country’s youngest prime minister, giving another member of the kingdom’s most famous and controversial political dynasty the top job.
The vote to inaugurate the 37-year-old daughter of ousted former President Thaksin Shinawatra came two days after Thailand’s Constitutional Court removed another prime minister from office, a surprise decision that plunged the kingdom into further political uncertainty and sparked fresh concerns about an erosion of democratic rights.
Paetongtarn won 319 votes in the House of Representatives after being nominated by her Pheu Thai Party’s ruling coalition as the sole candidate 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 policies and populist politics enabled him to build a political machine that has dominated the country’s politics for the past two decades, despite his overthrow in a coup in 2006.
His youngest daughter will be Thailand’s second prime minister after her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s sister.
Speaking to reporters at her party headquarters in Bangkok on Friday, Paetongtarn thanked her supporters and said she felt “honoured” by the decision.
“I will do my best in this position,” she said.
A political newcomer, Paetongtarn was one of Pheu Thai’s three prime ministerial candidates ahead of national elections in May last year. She made international headlines when she gave birth just two weeks before the election.
Her appointment adds another twist to a years-long saga that has rocked Thailand’s already turbulent political landscape.
Srettha’s dismissal on Wednesday was the latest blow to the Thaksin-backed Pheu Thai party, which has often clashed with Thailand’s conservative establishment – a small but powerful clique of military, monarchy and business.
Political parties allied with Thaksin fought for power after being ousted from office by coups or court decisions.
Paetongtarn’s aunt was removed from office before the military seized power in a coup in 2014, and her father went into self-imposed exile for more than 15 years in 2006 to escape corruption charges brought against him after the military overthrew his government.
Her uncle Somchai Wongsawat was briefly prime minister in 2008, but was deposed by a court ruling.
While navigating a febrile political atmosphere at the head of an 11-member coalition, Paetongtarn also takes on a number of challenges, including turning around Thailand’s ailing economy and reviving the Pheu Thai party’s sagging popularity.
The party’s flagship program of issuing cash in the form of digital wallets has been delayed several times and it is unclear to what extent it will continue with Srettha’s key economic policies.
Thaksin, a telecommunications billionaire and former owner of Manchester City football club, returned to Thailand from exile in August last year.
He continues to have a firm grip on Thai politics and many believe he continues to exert influence over the Pheu Thai Party – first 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 surprise reversal of its victory in that vote, Pheu Thai joined forces with its former military rivals to lead a multi-party coalition government. The progressive Move Forward Party, which won a surprise election victory last year with its hugely popular reform program, was blocked from forming a government and forced into opposition.
Last week, the Constitutional Court accused Move Forward of “undermining the monarchy” and ordered its dissolution, a blow to the vibrant progressive movement and effectively disenfranchising 14 million people.
The former members have now re-founded the party under a new name.
On Wednesday, the same court ruled that Srettha had violated ethical rules enshrined in the constitution by appointing a lawyer – and Thaksin’s adviser – who had served a prison sentence to the cabinet.
Observers widely viewed these two decisions as an overstepping of the court’s powers and a chilling signal to all those pushing for meaningful reforms.
“Given the recent rulings, Thailand can be considered semi-autocratic at best, because the people’s votes count for virtually nothing. The conservative establishment has the power to veto and manipulate to achieve the desired results,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University.
The fact that Shinawatra is back in power is likely to further reinforce the feeling among many young Thais that there is little hope for change in Thailand’s political system.
This story has been updated with additional information.
