The Thai parliament on 05 August 2011 elected Yingluck Shinawatra to be the country's first woman prime minister during a special session of the House of Representatives. The rookie politician’s first challenge was to ensure stability with the selection of a new Cabinet and making good on election promises. Yingluck, a 44-year-old former businesswoman, was elected Friday as the nation’s 28th prime minister during a special session of the House of Representatives. House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont announced the outcome of the vote in the House chamber - 296 to 3 with 197 abstentions. Yingluck’s Pheu Thai Party commanded 265 seats in the 500 member House of Representatives, with coalition partners lifting the government’s hold on the chamber to 300 seats. Her election came a month after national elections led her Pheu Thai Party to victory. Party leader Yongyuth Wichaidith, said that public confidence in the government resides in its ability to deliver policy programs. “It depends on us. If we can work to the best of the people and to the well being of the people and the security of the nation it means it’s OK. It depends on us, not depend on [any] other factor,” said Yongyuth Wichaidith. But analysts said Yingluck faces key challenges as she prepares to oversee a new administration. She is the younger sister of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and now lived in exile because he faces a two year jail term for corruption in Thailand. Media reports say both Thaksin and his former wife, Pojaman na Pombejra, are said to be closely advising Yingluck on selecting Cabinet members. Thaksin remains a divisive figure in Thailand’s political landscape. The urban middle class had accused him of abuse of power and human rights abuses while in office. His popularity was built on populist economic policies while in power. Over the past two years Thaksin supporters, led by the ‘red shirt’ movement staged protests against the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, that saw the worst political violence in 20 years and dozens killed in clashes with security forces. But the red shirt movement also played a key role in Pheu Thai Party’s election win and is pressing for Cabinet posts. Outgoing government leader, the Democrat Party’s Abhisit, said the new government needs to urgently address national problems as well as help avoid a return of political extremism in the country. “We will continue to be a responsible and constructive opposition. But it’s now in the hands of the government and I cannot speak for them - particularly the need to strike a balance - which I recognize of accommodating their base - the red shirts and making sure the country doesn’t go down an extreme path,” said Abhisit Vejjajiva. Sunai Pasuk, the Thailand-based representative for Human Rights Watch, says although her party has a strong position in parliament, Yingluck faces the challenge of delivering election platform promises such as higher minimum wages and prices for rice farmers. “In economic terms, in the provision of social welfare and all these issues will come back to challenge the integrity and credibility of the government. So if there is anything that may challenge the stability of the Yingluck government it is her own policy promises - whether her government can fulfill those promises or not. That will be a major test for her to face,” said Sunai Pasuk. Yingluck Shinawatra, Thailand's first female Prime Minister, was overthrown in 2014, marking a significant event in the country's political history. Here’s a summary of the events leading to her ousting: Background: Born: June 21, 1967, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Education: She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Public Administration from Chiang Mai University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Kentucky State University. Political Career: Yingluck Shinawatra is the younger sister of Thaksin Shinawatra. She entered politics with little prior experience but was chosen as the leader of the Pheu Thai Party in 2011. In the same year, she led her party to a decisive victory in the general election, becoming Thailand’s first female Prime Minister. Her Time in Office: Policies: Yingluck continued many of the populist policies initiated by her brother, including subsidies for rice farmers, which aimed to support the rural population that had been a strong base of support for the Shinawatras. However, the rice subsidy program became highly controversial and led to significant financial losses for the government. Challenges: Her government faced increasing opposition from various factions, including the urban middle class, royalists, and the military. Her administration was criticized for being a proxy for her brother, who was in self-imposed exile following his own ousting in 2006. 2013-2014 Political Crisis: In late 2013, Yingluck's government attempted to pass a controversial amnesty bill that would have allowed her brother, Thaksin, to return to Thailand without serving a jail sentence for his corruption conviction. The bill sparked massive protests in Bangkok, led by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), which accused her government of corruption and abuse of power. The protests grew, leading to a broader political crisis. Despite her efforts to defuse the situation by dissolving parliament and calling for new elections, the opposition boycotted the polls, leading to a deadlock. Overthrow in 2014: On May 7, 2014, Yingluck was removed from office by Thailand's Constitutional Court. The court found her guilty of abuse of power in a case involving the transfer of a senior security official. Her removal was seen by many as politically motivated. Shortly after her removal, on May 22, 2014, the Thai military, led by General Prayuth Chan-ocha, staged a coup d'état. The military dissolved the caretaker government, suspended the constitution, and took control of the country. Yingluck was detained briefly and placed under house arrest. Post-Overthrow: After the coup, Yingluck faced several legal challenges, including charges related to her government's rice subsidy program. In 2017, she was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison for negligence in managing the program, which was said to have caused significant financial losses to the state. Yingluck fled Thailand just before the verdict was announced, and she has since lived in exile, primarily in the United Kingdom. Legacy: Yingluck's overthrow marked the continuation of Thailand's cycle of political instability, characterized by deep divisions between pro- and anti-Shinawatra factions. The military junta that took power after her ousting remained in control for several years, with General Prayuth Chan-ocha later becoming Prime Minister after a controversial election in 2019. Yingluck, like her brother Thaksin, remains a polarizing figure in Thailand, seen by her supporters as a victim of political persecution and by her opponents as part of a corrupt dynasty. Her ousting and the subsequent military takeover were part of a broader struggle between populist forces, often led by the Shinawatra family, and the traditional elites, including the military and royalist factions, who have repeatedly intervened in Thai politics. Yingluck and five others were accused of mishandling 240 billion baht ($6.7bn) and not running a proper bidding process for a 2013 campaign set to promote Yingluck’s government’s infrastructure projects. An arrest warrant was issued on 25 August 2017 for Yingluck Shinawatra, who failed to appear in court on the judgment day of a rice lawsuit filed against her. The Supreme Court postponed the reading of the verdict for the criminal case against Yingluck until Sept. 27 after her lawyer said the former leader was suffering from Meniere's disease and feeling dizzy and thus was unable to attend. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court judges ruled that they do not believe Yingluck's illness as it was certified by any doctor, according to a public prosecutor attached to the Office of Attorney General. Yingluck's failure to appear in court prompted the Supreme Court to hand out the arrest warrant for the former premier currently faced with duty-negligence charges pertaining to the rice subsidy program implemented nationwide years ago. Thailand’s top courts on 04 March 2024 acquitted former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in a corruption case during her time in office more than a decade ago. The ruling on Monday is the latest legal success for the influential Shinawatra family. In February, Yingluck’s brother Thaksin – a two-time prime minister and figurehead of the Pheu Thai Party – was released on parole after serving six months into a commuted prison sentence for abuse of power and conflicts of interest.
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