Paetongtarn Shinawatra elected Thailand’s 31st prime minister

[Gaybutton]

No surprise there. She was expected to emerge as Thailand's next Prime Minister. She is Thaksin's daughter. Your guess is as good as mine as to how much of a role Thaksin will play.

The legislature voted her into office. No general election was held, so the people had no voice in it at all. Based on the last general election, the will of the people, even when one party wins by a landslide, means nothing at all when the legislature can so easily overturn the election results and put in office whoever they choose.
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Paetongtarn Shinawatra elected Thailand’s 31st prime minister

Youngest-ever PM continues old dynasty




August 16, 2024

The House of Representatives on Friday elected Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn "Ung Ing" Shinawatra as the 31st prime minister of Thailand with 319 votes for, 145 votes against and 27 abstentions.

Sorawong Thiengthong, Pheu Thai’s secretary-general, on Friday morning nominated Ms Paetongtarn as the sole prime ministerial candidate when Parliament President Wan Muhamad Noor Matha began the House meeting at 10am.

The motion was supported by 291 MPs. Ms Paetongtarn, 37, was not present at the meeting.

Government and opposition MPs rose to debate the nomination before voting started at 11.11am and was officially announced at 12.34pm.

There are 493 elected House representatives. Ms Paetongtarn needed a simple majority of 248 votes. A total of 489 MPs were present in the chamber on Friday.

The 37-year-old daughter of former premier and Pheu Thai patriarch Thaksin Shinawatra becomes the youngest prime minister in the country’s history. She succeeded Srettha Thavisin, who was dismissed on Wednesday by the Constitutional Court for an ethical violation.

Shinawatra dynasty

Ms Paetongtarn is the third member of the Shinawatra family to hold the job after Thaksin and her aunt Yingluck. Thaksin’s brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat also served briefly in the role in 2008. Thaksin and his younger sister Yingluck both fled into exile after military coups against their government.

Thaksin returned to Thailand in August last year and was sentenced to eight years in prison – later reduced to one year on a royal pardon – for abuse of authority and conflict of interest while in office from 2001-06. He did not spend a single night behind bars and was granted parole after staying for six months at the Police General Hospital.

On Thursday, the parties in the coalition government agreed to back Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn to be selected as the candidate for prime minister.

It was reported earlier that key coalition figures met at Thaksin’s residence on Wednesday evening and decided to choose Chaikasem Nitisiri, 75, a former justice minister and attorney-general.

To become prime minister, a candidate needs the backing of more than half of the current 493 lawmakers, or 248 votes. If they fall short, the House must meet again later and repeat the voting process, with a chance for other candidates to be nominated. The 11-party coalition government has 314 seats in the House.

On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court removed Srettha from the PM’s post after finding him guilty of violating ethical standards by appointing Pichit Chuenban as PM’s Office minister even though he had a jail record.

Pichit was once accused of trying to bribe Supreme Court officials and was flung behind bars for six months for contempt of court.

Still in opposition

Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the opposition People's Party, said on Thursday that the party would not vote for the Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidate.

On the same day, the opposition Democrat Party with 25 MPs voted unanimously to abstain from the vote.

The People's Party is the latest incarnation of the Move Forward Party (MFP), which was dissolved by the Constitutional Court last week. The court ruled that Move Forward was guilty of jeopardising the constitutional monarchy and national security.

Move Forward won the 2023 election but was unable to form a government because many unelected senators opposed its proposal to amend the lese-majeste law. The runner-up Pheu Thai Party subsequently formed a new coalition without Move Forward, and the latter moved into the opposition.

In Friday's vote, only votes from MPs – not senators – were required to elect the prime minister.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/po ... e-minister

[thewayhelooks]

the will of the people, even when one party wins by a landslide, means nothing at all when the legislature can so easily overturn the election results and put in office whoever they choose.

Cheaper than a coup.

[Gaybutton]

Thaksin - the REAL winner in the midst of all the brouhaha. But he still has some legal troubles.
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Thaksin gets royal pardon, parole ends Sunday

Ex-premier among 7,500 granted release or reduced sentences as part of royal birthday observance

August 17, 2024

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been included in a royal pardon for prisoners and his parole will end on Sunday, his lawyer Winyat Chartmontri said on Saturday.

Thaksin’s parole had been due to end at the end of the month. The earlier finish comes as part of a general royal pardon for 7,500 prisoners with good conduct on the occasion of His Majesty the King’s birthday last month, said Mr Winyat.

The news comes a day after Thaksin’s daughter Paetongtarn, 37, became the youngest person ever elected prime minister of Thailand. She is also the third member of the Shinawatra family to hold the position.

Thaksin, 75, returned to Thailand last August after 15 years of self-exile, having jumped bail and fled the country in 2008, claiming he could not get a fair trial on various charges he said were politically motivated.

The day he returned to Bangkok, Thaksin was sentenced to eight years in prison — later reduced to one year under an earlier royal pardon — for conflict of interest and abuse of authority while in power from 2001-06.

He never spent a night behind bars but instead spent six months in Police General Hospital. He qualified for parole in February based on his age and health condition and the fact that he had served half his sentence.

One of the conditions of his parole was that he not engage in political activity directly. But the patriarch of the governing Pheu Thai Party has been very active behind the scenes … and then some.

A local media organisation has even been promoting a seminar on Aug 22 at which Thaksin as the keynote speaker will explain his “vision for Thailand”. That prompted a local commentator on X to suggest that he relinquish the podium to his daughter since the public is curious about the vision of their prime minister.

Thaksin’s legal troubles are not completely over, however. He still faces a charge of lese-majeste in connection with an interview he gave to a South Korean newspaper in 2015.

In the interview, the ex-premier claimed privy councillors supported the 2014 coup that ousted the government of his sister Yingluck.

Thaksin was released on bail on the charge. A trial date has not yet been set. He recently sought court permission to travel to Dubai — where he spent most of his exile — for medical treatment but it was denied.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... nds-sunday

[thewayhelooks]

She was elected? I'd prefer to say she was appointed. As Daddy's muppet.

[Gaybutton]

She was elected? I'd prefer to say she was appointed. As Daddy's muppet.

I understand where you're coming from, but she was elected. The problem is who she was elected by. The people had no say in the matter and they also had no say in who the MPs are who elected her.

Again my guess is it's going to be same old, same old - everything changes, but nothing changes. Several editorials I've read say the controls will still be the "old guard". It would be nice if she pushes for easing the immigration requirements for expats, but I've seen no indication of any interest in that.

We'll just have to wait and see what the new regime will bring.

[2lz2p]

As in several governments, Thailand has the Parliamentary system. Being from the USA, I am not all that familiar with the system, but the following is a brief explanation.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/parliamentary-system

Parliamentary system, democratic form of government in which the party (or a coalition of parties) with the greatest representation in the parliament (legislature) forms the government, its leader becoming prime minister or chancellor. Executive functions are exercised by members of the parliament appointed by the prime minister to the cabinet. The parties in the minority serve in opposition to the majority and have the duty to challenge it regularly. Prime ministers may be removed from power whenever they lose the confidence of a majority of the ruling party or of the parliament. The parliamentary system originated in Britain (see Parliament) and was adopted in several of its former colonies.

Although one party may get a large share of parliamentary members but not a majority, it is possible for other parties to form a coalition that will form the government with the largest of the group usually having a member of their party elected Prime Minister with other cabinet positions then being shared among coalition partner members.

Actually, in the USA, it is possible for a majority of the people to vote for a presidential candidate but due to the electoral college system that person not being elected to office.

[Jun]

Actually, in the USA, it is possible for a majority of the people to vote for a presidential candidate but due to the electoral college system that person not being elected to office.

I think that's possible in any situation with defined constituencies.

The largest number of votes does not necessarily get the most seats. An example would be the UK 2005 General Election.

Looking at England only, Labour got 8.04million votes and 286 MPs
The Conservatives got more votes at 8.116m, but only 194 MPs

Typically due to the Conservatives winning rural constituencies like Huntington with enormous majorities and Labour getting a lot more marginal constituencies with small majorities.

There is, of course, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland as well, so unfortunately, Labour would have still won. However, this still demonstrates the principle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Unit ... l_election

In some English speaking countries, I think the problem is more about the poor quality of the candidates than the final election process. For example: Trump v Biden, or Johnson v Corbyn.

I don't really know enough about Thailand to comment, but it appears that the constitution is undemocratic.

[Gaybutton]

I don't really know enough about Thailand to comment, but it appears that the constitution is undemocratic.

The part that bothers me about Thailand is how a political party and its candidate can win by a landslide and the result is someone from another party becomes Prime Minister and the candidate not only is banned from holding political office for 10 years, but his political party is disbanded.

Democracy in action . . .-