The partners of the power block in power in Thailand agreed on Thursday to appoint Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, to replace Srettha Thavisin, who was ousted by court prescription as PM one day earlier.
The 11 parts of the Coalition led by the Thai Pheu Party gathered to discuss candidates for the Prime Minister, but decided to consolidate the appointment around Paetongtarn, 37. She would be the third shinawatra to direct the government if the deputies approved her appointment during a parliamentary vote on Friday.
“Of course, the country must move forward. Today we are ready to advance the country,” said Paetongtarn, a chief of Pheu Thai who is nicknamed “Unging”. “I have confidence in the Thai party of Pheu and all the parts of the coalition will help our country to get out of the economic crisis.”
She spoke to journalists after Surawong Thienthong, the secretary general of the party, announced Thursday afternoon on Thursday after the members of the coalition accepted her appointment.
Friday’s vote is necessary because the Constitutional Court withdrew Settha from his functions, judging that he had violated ethics by knowingly appointing a minister to his cabinet who had been imprisoned in 2008 to bring a head of the court.
The members of the coalition announced their support for Paetongtarn, who, if elected, would become the second Prime Minister of Thailand and would continue the dynasty of his family in Thai politics.
Besides his father, Thaksin, who was forced from his duties by a military coup in 2006, his aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, was also Prime Minister and was forced by a similar coup in 2014.
“We are united in a decision to let the Thai Pheu Party lead the government of the coalition and appoint an appropriate person for the post of Prime Minister. The Thai Pheu party has informed all the parts of the coalition which it will fully name its Paetongtarn Shinawatra as Prime Minister, and we are very happy to support it fully, “said Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, add.
Announcing the approval of the Palang Pracharath party, Santi Promphat, the deputy leader, said that the party aligned by soldiers was confident that Paetongtarn had the knowledge and capacities to lead the next government of Thailand.
Paetongtarn must receive 247 votes from the 493 deputies of the lower chamber in the sitting position to be elected Prime Minister. The coalition led by Pheu Thai has 312 members – much more than the required number.
Non -universal support
A chief of the New People’s Party, however, announced the opposition of his group to the appointment.
The party was born last week after the Constitutional Court ordered that the advanced party is dissolved and that 11 of its leaders are prohibited from politics for a decade. Two days later, its remaining members reconstituted themselves as a people party.
“We will continue to exercise our duties as an opposition party without participating in the vote because it is the duty of the parties of the coalition. Even if the People’s Party cannot offer a person to hold the post of Prime Minister under his own party, I am ready to come and serve the leader of the opposition to the House of Representatives,” said Natthaphong Ruengpanyaw, the leader of the party.
In the 2023 general elections, the Award Award party won 153 seats – the most public – and appointed Pita Limjaroenrat as Prime Minister.
His appointment failed when he could not obtain the support of the former Senate, the 250 members of which were authorized to vote with the 500 members of the Lower Chamber. The senators said that they would not support his party’s proposal to reform the law against royal defamation, known as the majesté.
Maintain power
Analyst Thanaporn Sriyakul, director of the Institute for Analysis and Political Policy, said that the appointment was clearly aimed at Pheu Thai by maintaining power.
“The coalition parties obviously want to continue to be a government led by the Pheu Thai party. The big boss [Mr. Thaksin] will never let another party be the Prime Minister, “Thanaporn told Benarnews.
“However, even with a group of Prime Minister, the policies of the previous administration will expire and the new government must issue their own set of policies. It is the right of the new government to adapt as they wish. ”
He also said that he did not expect Paetongtarn, if he was elected, to face the same fate that struck his father and his aunt immediately.
“I always think that Thai politics is unlikely to achieve an impasse, because if the old Prime Minister leaves, a new one will be selected. If people are really fed up, they will dissolve the Parliament and let the people vote. Another coup is unlikely,” he said.
Paetongtarn, the youngest daughter of Thaksin, obtained a baccalaureate in sociology and anthropology from the University of Chulalongkorn and obtained a master’s degree in international hotel management of the University of Surrey, England.
Before entering politics, Paetongtarn was chief executive officer of the hotel group of hotel business is developing Co. Ltd., and director of a subsidiary, as well as a major shareholder of SC Asset Corp. PLC.
She began working in the Pheu Thai party as chief councilor of participation and innovation and head of the Family Pheu Thai Foundation in October 2021.
“Even if Paetongtarn is new in the political arena, it is a family of politicians and a daughter of the former Prime Minister. Consequently, with the knowledge of politics and its history, coupled with a new generation of politicians, she can be a capable president who can direct the country of the country”.
Paetongtarn is one of the many candidates appointed before the 2023 general elections who are eligible to succeed Srettha as Prime Minister.
Other candidates are Chaikasem Nitisiri de Pheu Thai; Anutin Charnvirakul of the Bhumjaithai Party; Prawit Wongsuwan of the Palang Pracharath party; Former Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-O-Cha and Pirapan Salirathavibhaga of the United Thai Nation party; And Jurin Laksanawisit of the Democratic Party.
Prayuth is on the list even if he announced his policy retirement last year.
Benarnews is a press organization affiliated with the FRG.