In a crucial parliamentary vote on Friday ( Aug 16 ), political newcomer Paetongtarn Shinawatra will attempt to become Thailand’s youngest prime minister, a day after his ouster and an unrelenting power struggle between the nation’s warring elites.
If the 37-year-old daughter of contentious political heavy Thaksin Shinawatra prevails, only two times after Srettha Thavisin’s ally was ousted as prime minister by a court that has been at the center of Thailand’s two years of intermittent unrest, she risks a baptism of fire.
The tradition and political potential of the businessman Shinawatra family, whose once invincible populist juggernaut lost its primary election defeat in more than 20 years last year and was forced to form a government through a deal with its terrible enemies in the military, are in Paetongtarn’s hands.
With the government’s approval expected on Friday, Paetongtarn could face challenges on a number of fronts, including the declining economy and the waning popularity of her Pheu Thai Party, who has not yet delivered on its flagship cash handout program worth$ 500 billion baht ( US$ 14.25 billion ).
Paetongtarn, who has never served in state, had become Thailand’s following female prime minister and the second Shinawatra to take the top job after uncle Yingluck and 75-year-old dad Thaksin, the country’s most important and polarising politician.
After the 11-party empire made it known on Thursday that it would support her election, Paetongtarn urged the general public to be persistent and allow Pheu Thai’s economic plans to succeed.
” It has only been one time… I may push all the Pheu Thai plans for accomplishment”, she said.
” We are determined and ready to lead the nation.”
At 10 a.m. ( 3 a.m. GMT ), Paetongtarn must be nominated before being cast for a vote. To be prime minister, the alliance needs the support of more than half of the 493 present lawmakers, who currently hold 314 seats.