Thaksin's Brother-in-Law Elected as New Thai Prime Minister

by Sanjay Jha | September 16, 2008 at 08:59 pm

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After weeks of turmoil Thailand lawmakers have finally elected a new Prime Minister and deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had managed to retain his control. He had managed to get Somchai Wongsawat his brother-in-law elected as new Prime Minister of Thiland. However his election is likely to generate fresh vilonece and protest.

Previous Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was forced to step down last week after a court said he violated the Thai Constitution by taking payments for hosting a cooking show.

The brother-in-law of ousted Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra has won a parliamentary vote to become the country's new prime minister.

Somchai Wongsawat, whose candidacy was supported by the governing People Power Party, won a simple majority of votes in Bangkok's lower house of parliament.

Mr Somchai became acting PM last week after a court forced his predessesor, Samak Sundaravej, to step down.

Protesters in Bangkok claim the present government is a proxy for Mr Thaksin.

Clashes between government supporters and opponents have left one person dead, and anti-government protesters have vowed to continue their three-week-old occupation of the main government complex until the PPP is forced out of power.