 "Thailand: Thaksin's party elects new leader after court axed daughter Paetongtarn")
Thailand’s Pheu Thai party elected Julapun Amornvivat, a former deputy finance minister, as its new leader on Friday, following the resignation of Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Paetongtarn, 39, stepped down last week after a court removed her from the premiership in August over an ethics breach linked to a border dispute with Cambodia.
According to an AFP report, citing analysts, Paetongtarn’s resignation is seen as a strategic move to protect Pheu Thai from potential legal challenges and could signal the waning influence of the Shinawatra family, which has dominated Thai politics for decades.
Julapun was elected during a livestreamed vote on the party’s official Facebook page.
“I feel honoured to receive this privilege and thank all party members for their confidence,” AFP quoted the MP from northern Chiang Mai province, a Pheu Thai stronghold, as telling reporters after the vote.
Julapun, 50, is the son of veteran politician Sompong Amornvivat who served as deputy prime minister and led Pheu Thai in 2019.
He helped promote Pheu Thai’s flagship policies ahead of the 2023 election, including a proposed 10,000-baht ($300) stimulus handout and casino legalization.
Observers, however, note that party leadership remains heavily influenced by Thaksin Shinawatra and his political dynasty.
For two decades, the Shinawatras have been at odds with Thailand’s pro-military, pro-royalty elite, who view their populist politics as a challenge to the traditional social order.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThaksin, who founded the first iteration of Pheu Thai in the late 1990s, was ousted in a 2006 coup and spent over a decade in exile.
The 76-year-old is currently serving a prison sentence for corruption during his premiership.
With inputs from agencies
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