Thaksin's daughter elected prime minister of Thailand

(Dan Tri) - With the election of the National Assembly, Paetongtarn Shinawatra will become the youngest prime minister in Thai history and the third member of the Shinawatra family to take on this role.

Daughter of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin, Paetongtarn Shinawatra (Photo: AFP).

This morning, the Thai parliament convened a meeting to vote for a new prime minister after the Constitutional Court dismissed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. The results showed that Paetongtarn Shinawatra was elected as the next prime minister of Thailand. According to the voting results, Ms. Paetongtarn won 319 votes in the House of Representatives. To become prime minister, she still needs the approval of King Maha Vajiralongkorn. According to the constitution, to become prime minister, a candidate needs at least 247 votes out of a total of 493 votes of the House of Representatives. The new Thai prime minister will have to face a series of difficulties such as economic decline and political instability. Immediately after Mr. Srettha was dismissed, Ms. Paetongtarn, 37, was mentioned as one of the most promising candidates to take up the position to become the youngest prime minister and the second female prime minister of Thailand, the third member of the Shinawatra family to lead the country. Ms. Paetongtarn is the leader of Pheu Thai, the party that leads the 11-party coalition that holds 314 seats in the House of Representatives. The Pheu Thai Party nominated Paetongtarn as its candidate for prime minister of Thailand on August 15. Speaking after the nomination of the Pheu Thai Party, Ms. Paetongtarn said: "We believe that the party and the coalition parties will lead our country." She also called for the public to be patient before Pheu Thai's economic policies bear fruit. "It's only been a year... I will push to make Pheu Thai's policies successful. We are determined and ready to move the country forward," Mr. Thaksin's daughter emphasized. Ms Paetongtarn is the youngest child of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. During her Pheu Thai campaign, she acknowledged her family connections, but insisted that she did not rely on her father's influence. "I do not hide under my father's shadow. I am my father's daughter, always, but I make my own decisions," she stressed. One question now is how much influence Ms Paetongtarn, as prime minister, might have on Mr Thaksin. Despite being deposed and living in exile for a long time, Mr Thaksin is believed to have had a great influence on Thai politics over the past two decades. Last August, he returned to Thailand to face charges. However, he was pardoned earlier this year and has barely spent a day in prison due to health problems. The decision to bring Ms. Paetongtarn into the picture at this crucial moment surprised many analysts, as they believed that Mr. Thaksin would delay his "reign" and avoid putting his daughter in a situation that could lead to adversity like himself and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra.

According to Reuters - Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/con-gai-ong-thaksin-duoc-bau-lam-thu-tuong-thai-lan-20240816112306087.htm