BANGKOK: Thailand’s recently removed prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra resigned Wednesday as leader of the party founded by her father, ex-premier Thaksin, signaling the potential end of the family’s decades-long political dynasty.
Paetongtarn, 39, served less than a year as prime minister before being sacked by a court in August over an ethics breach related to her handling of a border dispute with Cambodia.
The Shinawatra clan has for two decades been the key foe of Thailand’s pro-military, pro-royalty elite who view their populist brand of politics as a threat to the traditional social order.
But the Shinawatra dynasty has faced a series of legal and political setbacks, including the jailing of 76-year-old Thaksin this year for corruption during his time in office.
The Pheu Thai party announced Paetongtarn’s resignation in a statement on Wednesday, quoting her as saying the move would allow the party to “undergo a complete overhaul.”
“My resignation will allow the party to upgrade so eventually we can win the election,” she said in the statement.
Paetongtarn added that she would remain a party member and “continue to work hard for our Thailand.”
Thaksin, who founded the first iteration of Pheu Thai in the late 1990s, was ousted in a 2006 coup and then went into exile for more than a decade.
Paetongtarn was the third Shinawatra to become prime minister, following her father and aunt Yingluck Shinawatra. She is also the last family member still active in politics.
Analysts say her departure as party leader could mark the end of the family’s dominance in Thai politics, though some believe the Shinawatras still hold sway over Pheu Thai.
“It doesn’t matter who leads Pheu Thai, it will always be run by the family in the backroom,” Yuttaporn Issarachai, a politics expert at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, said.
He added that her resignation was mainly to safeguard against legal challenges to the party, after she was removed from office by the court.
Thailand’s former PM Paetongtarn quits as party leader
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Thailand’s former PM Paetongtarn quits as party leader
- Paetongtarn Shinawatra served less than a year as prime minister before being sacked by a court in August over an ethics breach
- The Shinawatra clan has for two decades been the key foe of Thailand’s pro-military, pro-royalty elite
Russia says two crew members from US-seized tanker released
- “Two Russian sailors have been released and are on their way home to Russia,” Zakharova said
- Russia announced earlier this month that the US had decided to release the Russian duo
MOSCOW: Moscow said Wednesday two Russian crew members of a tanker seized this month by the United States in the Atlantic had been released and were on their way home.
US authorities took over the Russian-flagged vessel earlier this month, alleging it was part of a shadow fleet carrying oil from countries such as Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of US sanctions.
The United States said publicly that the Marinera’s crew could be prosecuted. Russia said that would be “categorically unacceptable” and accused Washington of stoking tensions and threatening international shipping.
“Two Russian sailors have been released and are on their way home to Russia,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency on Wednesday.
Russia announced earlier this month that the United States had decided to release the two Russian crew members, but last week its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the decision had not yet been implemented.
The captain and the first officer of the tanker have left UK waters, Solicitor General for Scotland, Ruth Charteris told a court hearing Tuesday, Press Association news agency reported.
“The captain and the first officer are now aboard the US Coast Guard vessel Munro and have departed the United Kingdom’s territorial sea,” Charteris said.
Twenty-six of the 28 crew have left the ship, officials told AFP. They were processed at a military site in Inverness, Scotland, the court was told, according to Press Association.
Five wanted to travel to the United States and 21 elsewhere. None have claimed asylum, the court heard.
“At the request of the US authorities, crew members have been allowed to disembark for onwards travel,” a UK government spokesperson told AFP Wednesday.
“They will be processed in line with all appropriate immigration and legal requirements.”
Britain was not involved in the movement of the other two crew members, the government said.
The United States seized the tanker, previously known as Bella 1, which was being escorted by the Russian navy, after chasing it from near the Venezuelan coast.
It was re-flagged and re-named to bring it under Russian jurisdiction in a bid to discourage the United States from trying to take it as part of its campaign against Venezuela.
