King scuppers sister’s bid to become prime minister

THAILAND’S chaotic politics have taken two astonishing turns, with the sister of the king making a historic bid to become prime minister, only to have him shut down her effort as ‘‘inappropriate’’ because it violated tradition and the constitution, which keep the monarchy from getting involved in politics.

The royal order from King Maha Vajiralongkorn was read on national television yesterday, effectively scuttling the move by his older sister, Princess Ubolratana Mahidol, to become a candidate for the prime minister’s office in parliamentary elections scheduled for March 24.

It is the latest event to roil Thailand, which has been buffeted by coups, political comebacks and street violence for more than a decade.

Ubolratana’s registration as a candidate was a stunning move, not only because it would have broken a taboo on a senior royal running for public office, but also because it would have allied her with the Thai Raksa Chart Party, considered by many royalists to be unsympathetic to the monarchy.

It is one of several parties linked to the political machine of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a telecommunications billionaire who roared to power in 2001 with populist policies. The army eventually ousted him in a 2006 coup.

The royal siblings are thought to be close, and it was considered unthinkable that Ubolratana would make her move without her brother’s permission. What actually happened behind the scenes is unlikely to become public, because the Thai royal family’s private affairs are almost never leaked.

Vajiralongkorn tried to soften the blow by acknowledging that his 67-year-old sister had already relinquished her formal royal titles, and he praised her for conducting charity work and otherwise earning the love of her family and the Thai people.

Before the king’s statement, Ubolratana had issued a statement on Instagram saying she had ‘‘no special privileges above the Thai people under the constitution’’.

‘‘This act of mine, I have done out of sincerity and intention to sacrifice in this request to lead the country to prosperity,’’ she said.

–AP

AP Princess Ubolratana Mahidol’s attempt to become a candidate for prime minister in March elections has upended a long tradition of Thailand’s royals eschewing politics.