Thailand’s King has endorsed Paetongtarn Shinawatra as Prime Minister, two days after Parliament elected her.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra Sworn In as Prime Minister
She was sworn in as Thailand’s youngest Prime Minister just days after the Constitutional Court dismissed ally Srettha Thavisin as premier.
The Thailand King’s endorsement has paved the way for her to form a cabinet in the coming weeks.
Paetongtarn, 37, is the daughter of divisive former Prime Minister Thaksin.
The Constitutional Court is a judiciary central to Thailand’s two decades of intermittent political turmoil.
Thailand’s Second Woman Prime Minister
Shinawatra, Paetongtarn won by nearly two-thirds in a house vote on Friday, to become Thailand’s second woman Prime Minister.
She is the third Shinawatra to take the office, following Thaksin and her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra.
House of Representatives Secretary Apat Sukhanand read out the approval by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Sukhanand at a ceremony in Bangkok on Sunday.
A Short Speech
Apat knelt in homage to a portrait of the king before giving a short speech.
He thanked the king and the people’s representatives for endorsing her as Prime Minister.
“As head of the executive branch, I will do my duty together with the legislators with an open heart,” she said.
She further said, “I will listen to all opinions so together we can take the country forward with stability,”
Multiple Challenges
Paetongtarn, who has never served in government, faces challenges on multiple fronts.
The economy is floundering and the popularity of her Pheu Thai party is dwindling
Paetongtarn Hugs Her Father Thaksin
After accepting the royal endorsement, Paetongtarn hugged her father Thaksin and other family members.
The fall of her predecessor Srettha after less than a year in office is a reminder of the risk for Paetongtarn.
Thailand is trapped in a tumultuous cycle of coups and court rulings that have disbanded political parties and toppled multiple governments and prime ministers.
The billionaire Shinawatra family is yet another challenge for Paetongtarn, whose populist party suffered its first election defeat in over two decades last year.
Upheaval
In addition, the upheaval of recent days indicates a breakdown in a fragile truce struck between Thaksin and his rivals in the royalist establishment.
This had enabled the tycoon’s dramatic return from 15 years of self-exile in 2023 and ally Srettha to become premier the same day.
Court Dissolved Move Forward Party
Recently, the court that dismissed Srettha over a cabinet appointment, dissolved the anti-establishment Move Forward Party – the 2023 election winner.
The Court dissolved the party because of its campaign to amend a royal insult law that risked undermining the constitutional monarchy.
Moreover, the hugely popular opposition, Pheu Thai’s biggest challenger, has since regrouped under a new vehicle, the People’s Party.
At her first news conference, the newly elected leader said that she would continue the policies of her predecessor Srettha.
(With Inputs From Reuters)
