Thailand’s parliament elected Pitongtarn Shinawatra as the country’s new prime minister on Friday, international news agencies reported. Pitongtarn, 37, is the country’s youngest leader in history and Thailand’s second female prime minister. She was elected with 319 votes in favor and 145 against. There were 27 abstentions.
Petongtarn is Thailand’s third leader from the wealthy Shinawatra family. She is the youngest daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, one of Thailand’s most popular but controversial political figures. He was prime minister from 2001 to 2006, but was ousted by the military in a coup the latter year. In 2010, he was convicted of corruption and fled to Dubai before the verdict.
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After fifteen years of self-imposed exile, Thaksin returned to Thailand last September. He was immediately arrested and initially sentenced to eight years in prison. Thanks to the King of Thailand, who granted Thaksin’s request for clemency, his sentence was reduced to one year. This was for medical reasons.
The country’s highest court convicted Yingluck Shinawatra, Paithongtarn’s aunt and Thailand’s first female prime minister, in 2017 of dereliction of duty over rice subsidies. She remains in exile in Dubai.
On Thursday, the Pheu Thai party, founded by her father, nominated Paithongtarn as Thailand’s new prime minister. The populist party made the announcement at a news conference on Thursday, where leaders of the 11 coalition parties expressed their support for him.
A day earlier, the Constitutional Court removed her predecessor, Srita Thavisin, from office as prime minister for allegedly violating ethics rules. Thavisin was the fourth Thai prime minister to be ousted by the court in 16 years.