Paetongtarn sworn in as Thailand’s new PM

Thailand’s king has endorsed Paetongtarn Shinawatra as the country’s new prime minister two days after parliament elected her.

Paetongtarn, 37, took oath of office on Sunday (August 18), becoming the youngest prime minister of Thailand.

She nabbed the spot just days after Srettha Thavisin was dismissed as premier by the Constitutional Court, a judiciary central to Thailand’s two decades of political turmoil.

Her approval as the country’s new premier by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, a formality, was read out by House of Representatives Secretary Apat Sukhanand at a ceremony in Bangkok.

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.

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.”

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)