The House of Representatives in Thailand elected Paetongtarn “Ung Ing” Shinawatra as the country’s 31st prime minister on Friday, marking a significant moment in Thai political history. With 319 votes in favour, 145 against, and 27 abstentions, Shinawatra secured the position, becoming the youngest prime minister in Thailand’s history at the age of 37.
The nomination process began early on Friday when Sorawong Thiengthong, Pheu Thai’s secretary-general, proposed Shinawatra as the sole candidate. The House meeting commenced at 10am under the chairmanship of Parliament President Wan Muhamad Noor Matha. The motion to elect Shinawatra received support from 291 MPs.
Despite her absence from the session, Shinawatra’s candidacy was debated by government and opposition MPs before the vote took place at 11.11am. The official announcement of her election came at 12.34pm. To be elected, a candidate requires a simple majority of 248 votes from the 493 elected House representatives. On Friday, 489 MPs were present, and Shinawatra’s 319 votes exceeded the required majority.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, follows in the footsteps of her father and her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, both of whom have previously held the position. The Shinawatra family has been a prominent force in Thai politics, with Thaksin’s brother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat, also having served as prime minister in 2008. Thaksin and Yingluck both sought exile following military coups against their governments.
Thaksin returned to Thailand in August of last year and was sentenced to eight years in prison, later reduced to one year following a royal pardon, for abuse of authority and conflict of interest during his tenure from 2001-2006. However, he did not serve time behind bars and was granted parole after six months at the Police General Hospital.
Shinawatra’s election follows the dismissal of former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin by the Constitutional Court on Wednesday. Thavisin was removed from office due to ethical violations related to the appointment of Pichit Chuenban, who had a criminal record.
The coalition government’s agreement to support Shinawatra came after initial deliberations that included a consideration of Chaikasem Nitisiri, a former justice minister, as a potential candidate. However, the coalition ultimately endorsed Shinawatra. The coalition government holds 314 seats in the House.
The opposition People’s Party, which has recently emerged from the dissolved Move Forward Party, chose not to support Shinawatra, while the Democrat Party, with 25 MPs, unanimously abstained from the vote. The Move Forward Party, which won the 2023 election, was unable to form a government due to opposition from unelected senators and was subsequently replaced by the Pheu Thai-led coalition.
In Friday’s voting process, only MPs were involved, excluding senators, in determining the new prime minister.
