Bangkok
CNN
—
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, a scion of Thailand’s most famous and controversial political dynasty, received the king’s approval on Sunday and officially became the country’s new prime minister.
Her appointment follows a series of twists in Thai politics over the past week, during which the Constitutional Court ousted her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin of the same Pheu Thai party.
At 37, Paetongtarn is the country’s youngest prime minister and the daughter of ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra. She is Thailand’s second female prime minister after her aunt – and Thaksin’s sister – Yingluck Shinawatra.
On Sunday, King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s statement of approval was read to her by the Secretary of the House of Representatives at the Pheu Thai Party headquarters in the capital Bangkok.
Paetongtarn knelt and paid her respects to a portrait of the king before giving a short speech of thanks.
“The King has appointed me Prime Minister of Thailand. This is the greatest honour and pride of my life,” she said after her appointment.
“I, my family and the Pheu Thai Party are very grateful to His Majesty for his kindness. I am determined to discharge my duties with loyalty and honesty for the benefit of the nation and the people,” she added.
She is expected to appoint her 35-member cabinet and lead ministers in taking the oath before the king.
Last week, the Constitutional Court ruled that Srettha had violated ethical rules by appointing a lawyer – and Thaksin’s adviser – to his cabinet who had served a prison sentence.
Srettha’s dismissal 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.
On Friday, Thailand’s parliament elected Paetongtarn to the post after she was nominated by the ruling Pheu Thai coalition as the sole candidate to succeed Srettha.
She was one of three Pheu Thai Party candidates for prime minister ahead of national elections in May and made international headlines when she gave birth to a child just two weeks before the vote.
Thaksin is one of Thailand’s most influential politicians. His economic policies and populist politics enabled him to build a political machine that has dominated the country for the past two decades, despite his overthrow in a coup in 2006.
Paetongtarn’s appointment adds another twist to a years-long saga that has rocked the kingdom’s already turbulent political landscape.
Political parties allied with Thaksin are fighting to maintain power after being ousted from office by coups or court decisions in the past.
Yingluck was removed from office before the military seized power in a coup in 2014, and Thaksin went into self-imposed exile for more than 15 years in 2006 to escape corruption charges after the military overthrew his government.
The telecommunications billionaire and former owner of Manchester City football club returned to Thailand from exile in August last year.
