Thai poll panel endorses Yingluck
Source: Agencies |
July 20, 2011, Wednesday
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THAILAND'S election watchdog endorsed Yingluck Shinawatra as a parliamentarian yesterday, clearing the way for her to become the country's first female prime minister following a July 3 landslide by her opposition party.
The Election Commission gave the all-clear for the sister of self-exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to take a parliamentary seat, dismissing a series of complaints that she had committed electoral violations.
The decision will ease concerns about near-term political instability after veiled threats by some of her supporters that they would protest against any decision to disqualify Yingluck, whose Puea Thai Party won 265 of the 500 seats in parliament.
The commission also cleared outgoing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, the leader of the defeated Democrat Party, of alleged vote-buying, allowing him to play a role in the parliamentary opposition.
"We found no problems. Unanimous decisions were taken in lifting complaints against Yingluck and Abhisit," Sodsri Satayatham, one of the five commissioners, told Reuters.
Several of Yingluck's opponents had lodged complaints with the commission alleging she violated election laws by allowing banned politicians, including Thaksin and former Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, to play a role in her campaign.
As evidence, they cited the party's slogan "Thaksin thinks, Puea Thai acts."
The commission certified 12 winners in total yesterday, taking the number of approved lawmakers to 370. It will meet tomorrow to discuss the other pending cases, Sodsri said.
A total of 475 lawmakers must be endorsed in order for parliament to hold its first session before August 2, as required by the constitution.
Once a house speaker is selected from among the lawmakers, another session will be held to choose a prime minister, which is almost certain to be Yingluck, 44, a charismatic former businesswoman with a political career just eight weeks old.
The two-week delay in her endorsement had prompted threats by leaders of the pro-Thaksin "red shirt" movement, who had told supporters to "charge their batteries" in preparation for any disqualification.
The red shirts' nine-week protest in Bangkok last year hamstrung Abhisit's government and led to bloody street clashes with troops that killed 91 people.
They played a key role in Puea Thai's victory and remain suspicious of the powerful elite opposed to Thaksin who they say might conspire to block the party from forming a government.
The endorsement clears one hurdle for Yingluck, but she faces pressure to explain how and when her party will implement populist policies that private economists say could increase inflation and public debt.
The Election Commission gave the all-clear for the sister of self-exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to take a parliamentary seat, dismissing a series of complaints that she had committed electoral violations.
The decision will ease concerns about near-term political instability after veiled threats by some of her supporters that they would protest against any decision to disqualify Yingluck, whose Puea Thai Party won 265 of the 500 seats in parliament.
The commission also cleared outgoing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, the leader of the defeated Democrat Party, of alleged vote-buying, allowing him to play a role in the parliamentary opposition.
"We found no problems. Unanimous decisions were taken in lifting complaints against Yingluck and Abhisit," Sodsri Satayatham, one of the five commissioners, told Reuters.
Several of Yingluck's opponents had lodged complaints with the commission alleging she violated election laws by allowing banned politicians, including Thaksin and former Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, to play a role in her campaign.
As evidence, they cited the party's slogan "Thaksin thinks, Puea Thai acts."
The commission certified 12 winners in total yesterday, taking the number of approved lawmakers to 370. It will meet tomorrow to discuss the other pending cases, Sodsri said.
A total of 475 lawmakers must be endorsed in order for parliament to hold its first session before August 2, as required by the constitution.
Once a house speaker is selected from among the lawmakers, another session will be held to choose a prime minister, which is almost certain to be Yingluck, 44, a charismatic former businesswoman with a political career just eight weeks old.
The two-week delay in her endorsement had prompted threats by leaders of the pro-Thaksin "red shirt" movement, who had told supporters to "charge their batteries" in preparation for any disqualification.
The red shirts' nine-week protest in Bangkok last year hamstrung Abhisit's government and led to bloody street clashes with troops that killed 91 people.
They played a key role in Puea Thai's victory and remain suspicious of the powerful elite opposed to Thaksin who they say might conspire to block the party from forming a government.
The endorsement clears one hurdle for Yingluck, but she faces pressure to explain how and when her party will implement populist policies that private economists say could increase inflation and public debt.
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