BANGKOK: Political newcomer Paetongtarn Shinawatra will bid to become Thailand’s youngest prime minister in a crunch parliamentary vote on Friday (Aug 16), a day after being thrust into the spotlight and an unrelenting power struggle between the country’s warring elites.
The 37-year-old daughter of divisive political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra faces a baptism of fire if she prevails, just two days after ally Srettha Thavisin was dismissed as prime minister by a judiciary central to Thailand’s two decades of intermittent turmoil.
At stake for Paetongtarn could be the legacy and political future of the billionaire Shinawatra family, whose once unstoppable populist juggernaut suffered its first election defeat in over two decades last year, and had to do a deal with its bitter enemies in the military to form a government.
Paetongtarn is expected to win the approval of parliament on Friday, and could immediately face challenges on multiple fronts, with the economy floundering and the popularity of her Pheu Thai Party dwindling, having yet to deliver on its flagship cash handout programme worth 500 billion baht (US$14.25 billion).
Paetongtarn, who has never served in government, could become Thailand’s second female prime minister and the third Shinawatra to take the top job after aunt Yingluck and 75-year-old father Thaksin, the country’s most influential and polarising politician.
After the 11-party alliance confirmed on Thursday it was backing her candidacy, Paetongtarn urged the public to be patient and let Pheu Thai’s economic policies bear fruit.
“It has only been one year … I will push all the Pheu Thai policies for success,” she said.
“We are determined and ready to push the country forward.”
Parliament was scheduled to convene at 10am (3am GMT), when Paetongtarn must be nominated before being put to a vote. The coalition holds 314 seats and the approval of more than half of the current 493 lawmakers is needed to become prime minister.
