Thai Junta Leader Elected Prime Minister
Thailand's junta leader General Prayuth Chan-ocha was elected as the Prime Minister of the south-east Asian nation Thursday by a legislature hand-picked by him. This move was widely expected ever since he assumed control in May, Reuters reports.
Gen. Prayuth, 60, was the only person nominated and the legislature that was hand-picked by the junta comprised mostly of military and police personnel. A live television broadcast of the parliamentary session showed that 197 members of Thailand's National Assembly cast their votes and he won at least half the votes, which is the required number to secure nomination.
However, his appointment needs to be formally approved by Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
On May 22, to avoid further violence, the military seized power in a bloodless coup - led by Gen. Prayuth - so as to restore stability in the region. In the next six months, violent - sometimes fatal - street protests were witnessed, which eventually led to the ousting of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Her populist attitude was evidently opposed by the Bangkok-based royalist establishment.
An interim government will be set up in a matter of time; but, power will continue to remain in the hands of the junta. Before the new elections, which will take place around late 2015, the General is adamant on pressing ahead with a year of political reforms.
"It is designed to give him the power to run the country according to the law. The premier position will give him legal power in the Thai governance system," Gothom Arya, a lecturer in human rights studies at the Mahidol University told Reuters.
Gen. Prayuth will be picking his new cabinet soon. However, the critics are concerned over the recent events and say that by making such moves the military is trying to strengthen its hold on the country, BBC reports.
