Paetongtarn Shinawatra, heir to the political dynasty, becomes Prime Minister of Thailand

Thailand’s newly elected Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra salutes after winning the parliamentary vote to become Prime Minister at the Pheu Thai Party headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday. Photo by Rungroj Yongrit/EPA-EFE

Her election marks the latest twist in a long-running political drama marked by coups and court rulings. On Wednesday, former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin — also a member of the Pheu Thai Party — was removed from office by the Constitutional Court on charges of appointing a cabinet minister with a criminal conviction.

The Pheu Thai Party is the latest incarnation of the political dynasty founded by billionaire telecommunications tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra, which built massive support by appealing to Thailand’s rural and working-class populations. Thaksin was prime minister before being ousted in a coup in 2006. His sister, Yingluck, was elected prime minister in 2011 and then also ousted by the military in 2014.

Paetongtarn entered politics just two years ago after working in the family hotel business and was the favorite candidate for the Pheu Thai Party during last year’s national election.

However, she lost in a surprise upset to the progressive upstart Move Forward party and its reformist leader Pita Limjaroenrat.

The two parties initially formed a coalition to present a new government, but Pita’s bid to become prime minister was quashed by the military and pro-monarchy factions in parliament. The Pheu Thai Party then joined forces with its long-time conservative enemies to oust Move Forward and appoint Srettha as prime minister.

Earlier this month, Move Forward was dissolved by Thailand’s Constitutional Court over its proposals to reform the country’s draconian royal defamation laws, which the court said risked undermining the constitutional monarchy.

Court rulings and behind-the-scenes maneuvering by traditional power players have further undermined Thailand’s fragile democracy, human rights advocates say.

“Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s rise to prime minister should not obscure the judicial crackdown by Thailand’s Constitutional Court that has devastated confidence in the country’s stability and commitment to democracy,” said Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, for UPI.

“For a country in economic crisis that is highly dependent on foreign investment and exports, this perfect political storm has shaken confidence in a way that few could have imagined,” he said.

Hovering over Paetongtarn’s victory is the presence of her father, Thaksin, who returned to Thailand last year from a self-imposed 15-year exile and remains a deeply divisive figure in the country.

His return was part of a bargain with his former political enemies to keep Move Forward out of power. Instead, he saw an eight-year sentence for corruption reduced and later commuted by Thai King Vajiralongkorn.

However, this week’s ouster of Srettha was seen by many observers as a warning to Thaksin to rein in any future ambitions. He was also indicted on lese majeste charges in June over comments he made in a 2015 newspaper interview that allegedly insulted the monarchy.

Paetongtarn now inherits significant political challenges, including starting an economy that has lagged behind its Southeast Asian neighbors. During the election campaign last year, she ran on populist proposals such as raising the minimum wage, expanding health care coverage and reducing public transportation fares. The Pheu Thai Party has promoted a digital wallet plan that would provide about $275 in aid to about 50 million Thai citizens, but the initiative has been delayed due to concerns from authorities, including the central bank.

During her rise, the political novice quickly endeared herself to Pheu Thai voters, but has yet to gain wider popular support. A poll published in June found that less than 5 percent of respondents favored Paetongtarn for prime minister, while Move Forward’s Pita received more than 45 percent of the vote.