Thailand has a new prime minister by Katarina Jankejova

Samak Sundaravej was elected as a new prime minister in Thailand on Monday,28 January 2008. The People Power party (PPP) leader received 310 votes while the Democrat party's nominee Mr Abhisit Vejjajiva received only 163 votes, paving the way for Mr. Samak to become Thailand's 25th prime minister. Mr Samak's win was expected, given the majority support from the PPP-led coalition bloc. He will lead a coalition of parties that together control about 65 percent of the seats in the House of Representative. After the elections he said to reporters : "Nothing will change in my life. There will be no celebration over my appointment." Born in June 1935 in the Thai capital, Bangkok, Samak Sundaravej comes from an aristocratic family. He graduated with a law degree from the prestigious Thammasat University and entered politics in his thirties, first as a member of the Democrat Party. Well connected to the military, Samak became head of its renegade right-wing faction. In the 1976 General Elections he defeated Kukrit Pramoj and was made Deputy Interior Minister in the cabinet of Seni Pramoj. He quickly became prominent for arresting several left-wing activists. Following the coup of October 6, 1976, Samak became Minister of the Interior in the administration of Tanin Kraivixien, a palace-favoured anti-Communist with a reputation for honesty. Samak immediately launched a fanatical witch-hunt which saw hundreds of supposed leftists, many of whom were writers and other intellectuals, arrested. In 1979 Samak founded the right-wing Prachakorn Thai Party. Mr. Samak is known as a man of contradictions. He is under investigation for corruption in the procurement while he was governor of Bangkok during 2000 & 2004. If he is convicted, he would be barred from office. Having been elected prime minister, Mr Samak is now well placed to reward PPP voters with the return of Thaksin Shinawatra - but whether the military will tolerate that is another question entirely. Amongst voters, as well, he remains a polarising figure, with many concerned about his famously pugnacious manner. Most analysts are predicting a rocky few months ahead for Thailand. Katarina Jankejova 749-321-4074

related story: http://www.thailandnews.net/story/322373

by Katarina Jankejova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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