BANGKOK: Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party has officially nominated 37-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra as its candidate for prime minister after the Constitutional Court removed incumbent Srettha Thavisin on Wednesday.
The announcement was made by Pheu Thai Secretary General Sorawong Thienthong at a press conference in Bangkok on Thursday.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of former billionaire prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, represents a significant shift for the party. She faces a parliamentary vote on Friday where Pheu Thai, the leading party in a ruling coalition, is expected to push for her approval.
“We have decided to nominate Paetongtarn Shinawatra,” Sorawong Thienthong announced, underlining the party’s confidence in its ability to tackle Thailand’s economic challenges and political instability.
Thailand’s political landscape has been thrown into further uncertainty following the court’s decision to remove Srettha Thavisin, who violated regulations by appointing a minister with a criminal record. Srettha’s dismissal is the third time a Pheu Thai Party prime minister has been removed by the Constitutional Court in less than a year.
Paetongtarn, who was chosen to replace veteran Pheu Thai member Chaikasem Nitisiri, represents a generational change within the party. Political analyst Yuttaporn Issarachai noted that the choice reflects Pheu Thai’s strategy to appeal to younger voters.
However, he warned that overcoming the deep-rooted conservative and military influences in Thai politics would be a major challenge.
Paetongtarn’s nomination came amid the ongoing political turmoil that has plagued Thailand for two decades, a period marked by frequent coups, street protests and legal battles that have often pitted progressive parties against the military-backed establishment.
Thaksin Shinawatra’s return to Thailand last August, coinciding with Srettha’s rise to power, initially suggested a truce between Thaksin’s allies and the pro-military factions. But recent events, including Srettha’s sacking and ongoing controversies over party dynamics, have underscored the ongoing volatility of Thai politics.
The Constitutional Court case against Srettha was brought by 40 former senators appointed in 2014 by the military junta that had previously ousted a Pheu Thai-led government. These senators played a key role in blocking the Move Forward Party (MFP) after it won a majority of votes in last year’s election but was prevented from forming a government.
The MFP’s reform campaign has faced fierce opposition from conservative elements within the political establishment, and the court’s recent decision to dissolve the MFP and expel its leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, from politics has further complicated Thailand’s political landscape.
