Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra breezed through a no-confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday in the first test of her premiership, emerging unscathed from a two-day opposition onslaught to reaffirm the stability of her coalition.
Thailand’s youngest premier won the backing of 319 of 488 lawmakers present, despite a barrage of barbs during a censure debate that accused her of being unqualified, lacking economic knowledge, evading tax, serving her wealthy family and taking direction from her billionaire father and political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra.
The censure motion was an early test of Paetongtarn’s mandate more than seven months after she was unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight as a political neophyte who had never held public office, replacing ally Srettha Thavisin after his removal by a court for an ethics violation.
She rejected all the allegations levelled at her.
Despite her lukewarm ratings in opinion polls and economic growth far adrift of regional peers, Wednesday’s vote showed Paetongtarn’s 11-party coalition remains solid, lowering the prospect of near-term instability in a country for two decades fraught with intermittent political turmoil.
Thaksin, a former owner of English football giants Manchester City, has loomed large over Thai politics for 24 years and returned home in 2023. He spent six months in detention in hospital under a government led by Pheu Thai, before being released on parole and declaring he was retired from politics.
He has since spoken openly and often about government policy but has repeatedly said he only offers his daughter advice.
Paetongtarn, the fourth member of the Shinawatra family to hold the top job, had during the debate insisted she was giving her best for the country and should be judged by her work, not her family ties.
People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said that despite winning the confidence vote, Paetongtarn was still unfit for the job.
“The prime minister’s abilities are still lacking,” he said. “And if Thailand has a prime minister without the right qualities, the nation will be at a loss.”
(Reuters)
