In a ceremonial event held in Bangkok, Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn officially endorsed Paetongtarn Shinawatra as the country’s new prime minister.
This formal approval came two days after the parliament elected her to the position.
At 37 years old, Paetongtarn has become the youngest person to hold the office of prime minister in Thailand.
Her swearing-in ceremony took place on Sunday, marking a significant milestone in her political career.
Paetongtarn’s appointment follows the dismissal of former premier Srettha Thavisin by the Constitutional Court, a judicial body that has played a central role in Thailand’s political landscape over the past two decades.
House of Representatives Secretary Apat Sukhanand read out the king’s formal approval during the ceremony, solidifying Paetongtarn’s position as the country’s new leader.
Paetongtarn won by nearly two-thirds in a House of Representatives vote on Friday, no stranger to the process coming from a family in Thai politics as the daughter of divisive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and niece of Yingluck Shinawatra, Thailand’s first female prime minister.
The second female prime minister of Thailand and leader of the Pheu Thai Party has the strong support of senior party leaders and coalition partners, said Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng, reporting from Bangkok.
“She hasn’t chosen the cabinet yet, but we presume from the people who are with her today that her cabinet will be much the same as it was under her predecessor,” said Cheng, adding that Srettha was at the ceremony, the party wanting to show a level of continuity by not throwing him under the bus.
As part of the royal endorsement, Paetongtarn knelt in front of a portrait of the king and delivered a short speech.
“As head of the executive branch, I will do my duty together with the legislators with an open heart,” she said. “I will listen to all opinions so together we can take the country forward with stability.”
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