Shinawatra endorsed for second term as Thai PM
Thailand’s Parliament today endorsed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for a second four-year term, following a landslide victory by the former telecommunications tycoon’s party in elections last month.
Thaksin said Finance Minister Somkid Jatusripitak will retain his post to help cope with anticipated economic problems, including the impact of a Muslim separatist rebellion in the south, but declined to reveal other Cabinet posts.
In televised balloting today, 377 out of 500 members of the lower house elected in February’s poll, voted for Thaksin to continue as prime minister.
Thaksin told reporters the new Cabinet lineup was complete and would include “a combination of old faces and newcomers”.
“But for the financial portfolio, it will be the same one (current Finance Minister Somkid), because I need him to help tackle the economic hardships we’re anticipating,” he said.
“The increase of oil prices, bird flu and southern violence are outside and uncontrollable factors that have an impact on the economy, so I need an old hand to handle this area,” Thaksin said.
The outbreak of bird flu that swept through Asia beginning last year has resulted in the deaths of more than 100 million chickens and ducks from sickness and culling. The virus also killed 46 people in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia.
More than 700 people have died since January 2004 in separatist violence in southern Thailand, which borders Malaysia.
Thaksin led his Thai Rak Thai party to an unprecedented victory in the general elections, winning 377 out of 500 seats in Parliament. It gave the party a mandate to form the country’s first democratically elected single-party government.
Thaksin and two parliamentary officials did not vote today, while three non-ruling party MPs cast votes for Thaksin.
Thaksin and his new Cabinet will be sworn in by King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
