2024-08-16 08:25:22
In Thailand, the daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Baidongtan Shinawatra, was elected as the new Prime Minister. In a televised vote on Friday, parliament voted by a majority of 349 in favor to 145 against. This is the third time a member of the influential billionaire family has served as head of government and the youngest ever head of government in Saudi Arabia.
The election was held two days after Prime Minister Sreeta Taweesin was ousted by the Constitutional Court. Paetongtarn is a scion of the famous Shinawatra family: she is the daughter of billionaire and former head of government Thaksin Shinawatra and the niece of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Both were ousted in military coups and went into exile. However, the family still has many supporters in the highly polarized kingdom. Thaksin only returned to Thailand in August last year. In June, he was charged with lèse-majesté.
Bai Dongtan, who studied in the UK and other places, is already considered a rising star in Thai politics in the 2023 parliamentary election, and even completed the campaign at the time while pregnant. She will celebrate her 38th birthday next week. The government coalition, which holds a majority in parliament, nominated Paetongtarn as its sole candidate on Thursday. The nomination of former Justice Minister Chaikasem Nitisiri (75), who had been considered the top candidate, came as a surprise. However, there is speculation that the politician is in poor health. Prior to this, party leaders reportedly held a meeting at Shinawatra’s residence in Bangkok.
The new head of government said she was “honored and delighted” with her election. “I really hope I can give people a sense of confidence,” Paetongtarn said Friday. “I want to improve the quality of life and empower all Thais.”
Her predecessor Sreeta was accused of violating general ethical principles by appointing a politician with a criminal record as a minister. As a result of the court ruling, not only he but also his entire cabinet were dismissed.
Thai politics has experienced two decades of chronic instability, punctuated by coups, street protests and major court rulings. The long-standing struggle between the military and the establishment loyal to the king and the country’s progressive parties also contributed to this phenomenon. Just last week, under pressure from conservative forces, the Constitutional Court ordered the dissolution of the Progressive Party (MFP) – the actual winner of the May 2023 parliamentary elections.
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