Little sister landslide
July 4, 2011
Thailand's Yingluck Shinawatra announced on Monday her intention to form a five-party coalition led by her Puea Thai Party, one day after she won a landslide election victory.
On Sunday, incumbent premier Abhisit Vejjajiva formally conceded defeat to Yingluck, the younger sister of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Election officials confirmed that the Puea Thai party won an outright majority of 254 seats in the 500 seat in the Thai parliament in Sunday's vote. Pheu Thai's main rival, the incumbent Democrat Party, won 159 seats.
Military accepts result
Yingluck, a 44-year-old businesswoman, is set to become Thailand's first female prime minister.
Thailand's military will accept Yingluck as the victor, according to the outgoing defense minister.
"The military will not get involved," General Prawit Wongsuwon said, adding, "The people have spoken clearly so the military cannot do anything. We accept it."
Thaksin was ousted in a military coup in September 2006 and fled the country in 2008. A court later sentenced him in absentia to two years in prison for corruption. He told reporters in Dubai, where he lives in exile, that he had no intention of returning to Thailand, despite his sister's election victory.
Author: Sarah Harman, (dpa, AFP, Reuters)
Editor: Nancy Isenson