BANGKOK (NNT) – Members of Parliament (MPs) have voted for Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the sole prime ministerial candidate from the ruling Pheu Thai Party.
A special parliamentary session was held earlier today, to vote on the appointment of a new Prime Minister, by Article 159 of the Constitution.
During the session, chaired by House Speaker Wan Muhammad Noor Matha, only the Pheu Thai Party’s candidate for prime minister, Paetongtarn, was nominated. Previously, there were a total of 7 candidates from five political parties. Paetongtarn has to gain at least 248 votes out of 493 to be elected as Prime Minister.
Before the vote, the opposition, led by the newly formed People’s Party, discussed the importance of appointing a Prime Minister to lead the nation out of the economic crisis. They also deliberated on the powers of the Constitutional Court and independent organizations, emphasizing the need for public involvement in deciding the fate of political parties.
At the end of today’s special session, a total of 319 MPs voted his favor of Paetongtarn to be named the 31st Prime Minister of Thailand, with 145 MPs objecting and 27 MPs abstaining.
Source: NNT
Paetongtarn Elected as 31st Prime Minister of Thailand
