Thai PM faces barrage of petitions to remove her

Complaints by rivals renew risk of political uncertainty only days after she took office

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Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is facing a barrage of legal complaints seeking her disqualification just days after taking office, renewing the risk of political uncertainty in the South-east Asian nation.

A clutch of political activists and rivals have filed about a dozen complaints with the Election Commission, the anti-graft agency and prosecutors, claiming that the 38-year-old leader was in breach of ethical standards and was under the influence of her father and former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

The third member of the influential Shinawatra clan to occupy the top political office, Ms Paetongtarn became Thailand's youngest premier on Aug 16. While an ethical breach is grounds for disqualification under Thai laws, her Pheu Thai Party also faces dissolution for allegedly being under the influence of Thaksin, who is not a member of the group.