Thai Parliament President has an audience with Thai King

BANGKOK, August 5 (TNA) - Thailand's newly-appointed Parliament President Somsak Kiartsuranont, who is the new House Speaker, is scheduled to have an audience with His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej later on Friday--during which he will submit a draft royal command on the appointment of Yingluck Shinawatra, the top list MP of the majority-elected Pheu Thai Party, as the Kingdom's 28th and first female prime minister, for His Majesty the King's approval.

Somsak was departing, on Friday afternoon, from the Thai Parliament building for the royal audience with His Majesty the King at Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital, where the revered Thai monarch has been recuperating.

Somsak told reporters that he will countersign the royal command once it is endorsed by His Majesty the King. The Pheu Thai Party has prepared to hold a gracious ceremony to receive the royal command, expected by Friday evening.

Yingluck, the youngest sister of exiled ex-Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, was elected Thailand's first female prime minister by the majority vote of the country's 500-seat House of Representatives earlier in the day. (TNA)