Thai lawmakers voted Friday on whether to appoint the 37-year-old daughter of billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister, elevating a third member of the clan to the nation's top job despite her never having held office. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, whose father and aunt have served as premier, would become the youngest leader in Thailand's history as a constitutional monarchy if elected. Lawmakers began voting one by one around 11:20 am (0420 GMT) on Paetongtarn, who would be the kingdom's second female prime minister, after her aunt.
The vote was forced after the kingdom's Constitutional Court sacked premier Srettha Thavisin for appointing a cabinet minister with a criminal conviction. Srettha's ouster on Wednesday was the latest round in a long-running battle between the military, pro-royalist establishment and populist parties linked to Paetongtarn's father, a telecoms tycoon and one-time Manchester City owner. The Pheu Thai party selected Paetongtarn as its replacement candidate Thursday.
None of the 10 other parties in the coalition it leads put forward an alternative. Bhumjaithai -- the third-largest party in parliament -- said it had "agreed to support a candidate" from Pheu Thai in Friday's vote. Paetongtarn needs 247 ballots from the body's 493 sitting members.
"We are confident that the party and coalition parties will lead our country," she said after the party announced her candidacy. Paetongtarn helped run the hotel arm of the family's business empire before en.