ID :
35623
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 13:13
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/35623
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House Speaker: Abhisit confirmed as Thailand's 27th prime minister
House Speaker: Abhisit confirmed as Thailand's 27th prime minister
BANGKOK, Dec 15 (TNA) - With the announcement from House Speaker Chai Chidchob, Thailand's long-standing Opposition party, the Democrat Party, moved into the official lead position as party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva was voted and officially confirmed as Thailand's 27th prime minister Monday morning by a majority of 235-198 votes in a special session of the House of Representatives.
Mr. Abhisit takes the official helm of a country battered by several years of contenious political discord and economic challenge.
The critical vote came before 11am as Mr. Abhisit pulled ahead with a clear majority and his opponent, former national police chief Pracha Promnok, Puea Pandin party leader, who won support from MPs loyal to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, rose and came to congratulate the winner.
While the Democrats are celebrating, there was also sadness as one Democrat MP died early Monday, and was unable to share the victory.
Thailand's Parliament normally has a membership of 480 MPs, but the number is down due to earlier political disqualification.
Mr. Thaksin, convicted of corruption charges and now a fugitive, is abroad at an unknown location.
Hundreds of police were deployed outside Parliament for the session for fear of a street protest as some demonstrators gathered outside the House to protest the vote outcome.
The red-shirted protesters dragged police barricades in front of the Parliament to block the gates in what they said was an attempt to prevent MPs who voted for Mr. Abhisit leaving the parliamentary compound. They later dispersed.
The new prime minister is expected to be formally named later in the day on Monday.
The vote comes in the wake of months of political crisis caused by anti-government protests which saw the country's two main airports seized last month.
Mr. Abhisit, 44, graduated from Oxford University with first-class honour in philosophy, politics and economics, and later earned a master's degree in economics at Oxford.
He first won national election in 1992 as an MP for Bangkok at the age of 28, the only Democrat MP elected in the capital that year.
He served as government spokesman in 1992 and as Minister to the Prime Minister's Office in the government led by the then prime minister Chuan Leekpai in 1997. Mr. Abhisit was elected Democrat party leader in 2005.
However, for some years his party has taken the role as a sole opposition party as itfailed to win an outright majority in the House of Representatives.
Mr. Abhisit earlier said building national reconciliation and improving the country's economy would be his first priority were he to be elected prime minister.
"I think it would be good if the government leader would also lead the economic team," Mr. Abhisit said. He expressed optimism that he could improve and restore confidence among investors within two to three months. (TNA)
BANGKOK, Dec 15 (TNA) - With the announcement from House Speaker Chai Chidchob, Thailand's long-standing Opposition party, the Democrat Party, moved into the official lead position as party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva was voted and officially confirmed as Thailand's 27th prime minister Monday morning by a majority of 235-198 votes in a special session of the House of Representatives.
Mr. Abhisit takes the official helm of a country battered by several years of contenious political discord and economic challenge.
The critical vote came before 11am as Mr. Abhisit pulled ahead with a clear majority and his opponent, former national police chief Pracha Promnok, Puea Pandin party leader, who won support from MPs loyal to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, rose and came to congratulate the winner.
While the Democrats are celebrating, there was also sadness as one Democrat MP died early Monday, and was unable to share the victory.
Thailand's Parliament normally has a membership of 480 MPs, but the number is down due to earlier political disqualification.
Mr. Thaksin, convicted of corruption charges and now a fugitive, is abroad at an unknown location.
Hundreds of police were deployed outside Parliament for the session for fear of a street protest as some demonstrators gathered outside the House to protest the vote outcome.
The red-shirted protesters dragged police barricades in front of the Parliament to block the gates in what they said was an attempt to prevent MPs who voted for Mr. Abhisit leaving the parliamentary compound. They later dispersed.
The new prime minister is expected to be formally named later in the day on Monday.
The vote comes in the wake of months of political crisis caused by anti-government protests which saw the country's two main airports seized last month.
Mr. Abhisit, 44, graduated from Oxford University with first-class honour in philosophy, politics and economics, and later earned a master's degree in economics at Oxford.
He first won national election in 1992 as an MP for Bangkok at the age of 28, the only Democrat MP elected in the capital that year.
He served as government spokesman in 1992 and as Minister to the Prime Minister's Office in the government led by the then prime minister Chuan Leekpai in 1997. Mr. Abhisit was elected Democrat party leader in 2005.
However, for some years his party has taken the role as a sole opposition party as itfailed to win an outright majority in the House of Representatives.
Mr. Abhisit earlier said building national reconciliation and improving the country's economy would be his first priority were he to be elected prime minister.
"I think it would be good if the government leader would also lead the economic team," Mr. Abhisit said. He expressed optimism that he could improve and restore confidence among investors within two to three months. (TNA)
