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Pro-Thaksin leader is PM

— Photo: Xinhua

Samak Sundaravej (right), who was elected Prime Minister, in the House of Representatives in Bangkok on Monday.

SINGAPORE: Samak Sundaravej, leader of Thailand’s People’s Power Party (PPP), was on Monday elected Prime Minister. With the newly-constituted 480-member Parliament in Bangkok electing Mr. Samak by a margin of 310-163 votes, an end to the spell of military rule looked imminent, pending a royal endorsement of his status as the Prime Minister.

Mr. Samak, heading a six-party coalition formed on the basis of results of last month’s general election, defeated Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjejiva in Parliament.

Sonthi Boonyaratglin, head of the junta that toppled a twice-elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in September 2006, had ordered last month’s general election to “restore democracy” and vowed to honour the results. Present Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, also a former army leader, had also pledged to make way for an elected government.

The PPP is known to be fiercely loyal to Mr. Thaksin, still in self-imposed exile since the coup against him. And Mr. Samak had, during the poll campaign last month, projected himself as Mr. Thaksin’s nominee and vowed to pave his honourable return home.

The focus now shifts to issues relating to the junta’s charges and actions against Mr. Thaksin, including his disqualification for future elective office under a judicial order. Mr. Samak, a former Governor of Bangkok known for his blunt talking in an “earthy style,” faces the challenge of keeping his fragile post-poll coalition intact.

This is important as he addresses issues relating to Mr. Thaksin’s home-coming in an ambience of adulation for him in the countryside and also scepticism about his place in Thai politics.

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