Samak Saundaravej Thailand's new prime minister by Svetlana Burdova

Bankok, Jan 28. Thailand's House of Representatives voted leader Samak Sundaravej as the Tahailand's new prime minister. Thailand has completed a transition from military rule back to democracy. But analysts predict that this transition has not already been over. Samak, 72, was voted by 310 members of the 480-seat House of Representatives. Samak's rival was the 43-year-old Abhisit Vejjajiva, leader of the opposition Democrat Party. Mr. Samak beat Mr.Vejjajiva by 310 votes to 163. After the vote in Parliament, Samak wants the reporters to respect his privacy. "Nothing will change in my life," Samak said. "There will be no celebration over my appointment." All members took part in the voting. Three members, Samak, Abhisit and the house speaker, abstained. As the leader of the People Power Party, Samak will lead a coalition that together control about 65 percent of the seats in the House of Representatives. Despite Samak's victory, it is possible, that he will be replaced by someone else. The Thai media speculate on who can be another canditate for prime minister. "I think the Thaksin group will try to find a way to get rid of him over the next few months," Jon Ungpakorn, a former senator and democracy activist, said of Samak. "He was an asset in the election. He will be a liability as prime minister." This leaves the Democrat Party with 165 seats, as the only opposition party in the house. The voting for prime minister was originally expected for Friday but later dealyed to Monday. New cabinet line-up is expected to be announced in early February Samak is a blue-blooded member of the Thai elite and he graduated in law from one of the best universities in the country. Samak's grandfather reigned from 1851 to 1868. He king gave He family He last name, Sundaravej. Defeated Abhisit said that it has been time to move forward with a new government in which he and his party would have been in the opposition. "It is also time to install honest people who can work within the system so that we donj't get back into the past."

related story: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2008/01/30/2003399477

by Svetlana Burdova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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