Thai lawmakers accepted tycoon Srettha Thavisin as the kingdom’s recent prime minister on Tuesday, creating a halt to three months of political deadlock on the day previous premier Thaksin Shinawatra came back from exile. Mr Srettha simply saved a lot across the two houses of Parliament to be accepted as Thailand’s 30th prime minister instead of his Pheu Thai party approaching in second in the May election.
He sailed past the 375-vote threshold required for a larger of 500 elected Lower House MPs and 250 senators appointed by the last junta. According to a count of votes broadcast live on Parliament TV, 482 voted on the side of Mr Srettha, 165 voted in opposition, whilst 81 did not vote. Pheu Thai’s coalition of approximate twelve parties orders 314 of the Lower House’s 500 seats. But it has triggered controversy by rolling out the red carpets for previous enemies into the partnership, involving the pro-military parties of previous coup makers that ousted Pheu Thai’s last prime minister.
The vote happened some time after Pheu Thai founder and figurehead Thaksin came back to Thailand for the first time since 2008 and was instantly imprisoned. Pheu Thai proceeded to create a government after the reformist Move Forward Party (MFP) – which gained victory over the maximum seats – saw its leader rejected the prime minister spot by conservative, pro-military forces.