Thai parliament backs first conservative PM this century

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Thailand’s parliament has endorsed Anutin Charnvirakul as prime minister after he led the country’s conservatives to their first election win this century. 

Anutin was elected by 293 of the 500-member lower house on Thursday, after winning February’s election with his Bhumjaithai Party. Per the Thai constitution, the parliament elects the prime minister. 

Anutin could form a government within the next few days, having assembled a coalition of more than a dozen parties. Bhumjaithai alone won 192 seats in the election — the largest margin of victory in about 15 years. 

His strong majority could bring political stability to south-east Asia’s second-largest economy after decades of turmoil caused by a stand-off between the powerful military-royalist establishment and popular progressive forces.

Elections in recent years have been won by progressive parties whose leaders were either blocked from power or ousted via military coups or by the judicial system.

The Bhumjaithai party, which has become the flag-bearer of the establishment, has strong backing from the monarchy, according to analysts. A wave of nationalistic sentiment following a border conflict with Cambodia last year won it popular support from the Thai public.

“The coalition enjoys a strong majority, operates within the context of a weak and fragmented opposition and is backed by a conservative establishment,” said Napon Jatusripitak, a visiting fellow at Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. “This creates a recipe for short-term stability.”