Thai ruling party leaders back Somchai as PM
THAILAND: The leaders of Thailand’s ruling party have backed Somchai
Wongsawat, brother-in-law of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, as its
candidate for prime minister, a spokesman said Monday.
The decision will be presented to parliamentarians from the People
Power Party (PPP) for approval at a meeting expected to start at 2:00 pm
(0700 GMT), spokesman Kudeb Saikrajang said.
“The executive committee has unanimously agreed to select Somchai,
who is the acting prime minister, as the candidate for prime minister.
He is a suitable candidate for this situation,” he told reporters.
Selecting Somchai, who is married to Thaksin’s sister, will likely
inflame anti-government protesters led by the People’s Alliance for
Democracy (PAD) who seized the prime minister’s offices last month.
The PPP was forced to find a successor to fallen premier Samak
Sundaravej after his bid to return to power last week was torpedoed by a
party revolt.
Samak was stripped of office earlier last week by a court that found
he had illegally accepted payments for hosting TV cooking shows.
Bangkok, Monday,
AFP
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