Thai Parliament Sets New PM Vote For Friday

[webfact]

Thai parliament sets new PM vote for Friday

BANGKOK, August 3, 2011 (AFP) - Thai lawmakers are set to vote in the country's first female prime minister on Friday, a parliament official said Wednesday, after she rode to election glory on the coat-tails of her fugitive brother.

Yingluck Shinawatra, whose Puea Thai party and its partners command a three-fifths majority in the lower house, will face a vote days after the parliamentary session was opened, secretary-general Pitoon Pumhiran told AFP.

The political novice tipped as the "clone" of her brother, the former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, faces the challenge of bringing stability to the kingdom after five years of political turmoil since he was removed in a military coup.

Parliament's vote on Friday is considered a formality in the selection of Yingluck, whose party won a thunderous majority in the July 3 election and has enlisted the support of several smaller parties in a coalition.

Yingluck will have to wait for a royal endorsement before she can officially take power.

She will become Thailand's 28th prime minister, replacing outgoing leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, whose Democrat Party limped to a distant second in the election.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-08-03

[webfact]

House to vote on new prime minister Friday: House sec-gen

BANGKOK, Aug 3 - Thailand's House of Representatives Secretary-General Pitoon Poomhiran said Wednesday that House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranond has called a sitting at 9.30am Friday to select the country's new prime minister.

The decision was made after His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej's royal command endorsing the newly-elected speaker and his two deputies was issued late Tuesday.

Pheu Thai MP for Khon Kaen Somsak Kiatsuranond was unchallenged for election as house speaker early Tuesday. His fellow party members Charoen Chankomol for Chaiyaphum and Wisut Chainarun for Phayao were selected as first and second deputy speakers respectively, one day after Parliament's opening ceremony.

Pheu Thai's top party-list MP Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of fugitive ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra, is expected to be chosen as Thailand’s first female prime minister when Parliament votes.

Puea Thai won a convincing majority in the July 3 election and Ms Yingluck, a businesswoman-turned-politician, formed a six-party coalition controlling 300 seats in the 500-seat House.

The Pheu Thai party secretary-general said the party will meet again Thursday to discuss the issue among party members and its coalition partners. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-08-03

[hammered]

They may want to look at constitutional changes that make the hand over from one government to the next a tad quicker. It is going to be one month from election to when we get a new PM. It could be a lot quicker in a parliamentary system

[rixalex]

Parliament's vote on Friday is considered a formality in the selection of Yingluck, whose party won a thunderous majority in the July 3 election and has enlisted the support of several smaller parties in a coalition.

A majority by 3% is thunderous? My goodness me. What, if it was 7%. What superlative would have been suitable? Or perhaps just, "very thunderous"?

[Ricardo]

They may want to look at constitutional changes that make the hand over from one government to the next a tad quicker. It is going to be one month from election to when we get a new PM. It could be a lot quicker in a parliamentary system

This already is a parliamentary system of course, and this seems to be a normal-enough election, and period taken to form the next government.

Certainly it might be speeded-up, but might that risk less scrutiny by the E.C. of the candidates' eligibility or of any alleged vote-buying or other electoral-malfeasance ?

[Bkkorupcountry]

Parliament's vote on Friday is considered a formality in the selection of Yingluck, whose party won a thunderous majority in the July 3 election and has enlisted the support of several smaller parties in a coalition.

A majority by 3% is thunderous? My goodness me. What, if it was 7%. What superlative would have been suitable? Or perhaps just, "very thunderous"?

Fine, fine. PT just scrapped in by a horse's nose and only with the support of some other parties. Satisfied? Whatever the detailed results were, the fact remains that PT is now the official governing body so let's focus on the bigger picture, if you can.

[rixalex]

Parliament's vote on Friday is considered a formality in the selection of Yingluck, whose party won a thunderous majority in the July 3 election and has enlisted the support of several smaller parties in a coalition.

A majority by 3% is thunderous? My goodness me. What, if it was 7%. What superlative would have been suitable? Or perhaps just, "very thunderous"?

Fine, fine. PT just scrapped in by a horse's nose and only with the support of some other parties. Satisfied? Whatever the detailed results were, the fact remains that PT is now the official governing body so let's focus on the bigger picture, if you can.

Satisfied?

Well, red shirt supporters have spent the last couple of years dissatisfied about local journalism as being biased against them, as they have seen it, so in the spirit of wishing for greater balance, i'm sure they too are unhappy about a 3% majority being described as "thunderous", and would not suddenly, the moment reporting swings in their favour, start telling people to forget about shoddy reporting and to focus on the bigger picture; unless balanced reporting was never what they were aiming for?

[Bkkorupcountry]

Parliament's vote on Friday is considered a formality in the selection of Yingluck, whose party won a thunderous majority in the July 3 election and has enlisted the support of several smaller parties in a coalition.

A majority by 3% is thunderous? My goodness me. What, if it was 7%. What superlative would have been suitable? Or perhaps just, "very thunderous"?

Fine, fine. PT just scrapped in by a horse's nose and only with the support of some other parties. Satisfied? Whatever the detailed results were, the fact remains that PT is now the official governing body so let's focus on the bigger picture, if you can.

Satisfied?

Well, red shirt supporters have spent the last couple of years dissatisfied about local journalism as being biased against them, as they have seen it, so in the spirit of wishing for greater balance, i'm sure they too are unhappy about a 3% majority being described as "thunderous", and would not suddenly, the moment reporting swings in their favour, start telling people to forget about shoddy reporting and to focus on the bigger picture; unless balanced reporting was never what they were aiming for?

So you've decided to lower yourself to that level?

[Crushdepth]

Parliament's vote on Friday is considered a formality in the selection of Yingluck, whose party won a thunderous majority in the July 3 election and has enlisted the support of several smaller parties in a coalition.

A majority by 3% is thunderous? My goodness me. What, if it was 7%. What superlative would have been suitable? Or perhaps just, "very thunderous"?

Fine, fine. PT just scrapped in by a horse's nose and only with the support of some other parties. Satisfied? Whatever the detailed results were, the fact remains that PT is now the official governing body so let's focus on the bigger picture, if you can.

Actually, Parliament is the official governing body, and a fair bit of it is made up of people who aren't in PTP or coalition partners. Just thought I'd point it out before we get started on more 'Will of the People' speeches.

[rixalex]

Satisfied?

Well, red shirt supporters have spent the last couple of years dissatisfied about local journalism as being biased against them, as they have seen it, so in the spirit of wishing for greater balance, i'm sure they too are unhappy about a 3% majority being described as "thunderous", and would not suddenly, the moment reporting swings in their favour, start telling people to forget about shoddy reporting and to focus on the bigger picture; unless balanced reporting was never what they were aiming for?

So you've decided to lower yourself to that level?

The low level is (disingenuously) calling for balanced reporting when you deem it as being biased against you, but then telling people to focus on the bigger picture when pointed out an instance of it being biased in your favour. If you hadn't noticed, i am not the one in this conversation doing that.

[Bkkorupcountry]

Satisfied?

Well, red shirt supporters have spent the last couple of years dissatisfied about local journalism as being biased against them, as they have seen it, so in the spirit of wishing for greater balance, i'm sure they too are unhappy about a 3% majority being described as "thunderous", and would not suddenly, the moment reporting swings in their favour, start telling people to forget about shoddy reporting and to focus on the bigger picture; unless balanced reporting was never what they were aiming for?

So you've decided to lower yourself to that level?

The low level is (disingenuously) calling for balanced reporting when you deem it as being biased against you, but then telling people to focus on the bigger picture when pointed out an instance of it being biased in your favour. If you hadn't noticed, i am not the one in this conversation doing that.

How disingenously clever to exclude your first quote "A majority by 3% is thunderous? My goodness me. What, if it was 7%. What superlative would have been suitable? Or perhaps just, "very thunderous"?"

How disingenously clever also to turn the tables around to subtly imply that I called for balanced reporting when it suited me but am now telling you to focus on the bigger picture. I do recall calling for balanced reporting (on another thread) when the facts were clearly wrong. I don't recall saying the same merely about biased reporting.

My point simply is that your original post was of no consequence or contribution to the topic at hand. I reread the OP again and further noticed how selective you were. Quotes such as

after she rode to election glory on the coat-tails of her fugitive brother

and

Democrat Party limped to a distant second

were ignored. Instead, you wasted both your time and mine discussing about a non-issue of "thunderous majority". If you don't mind, I wish to discontinue this discussion now

[rixalex]

How disingenously clever to exclude your first quote "A majority by 3% is thunderous? My goodness me. What, if it was 7%. What superlative would have been suitable? Or perhaps just, "very thunderous"?"

I clicked reply and it told me there were too many quoted sections of text, so i had to delete some. I deleted the oldest ones as that seemed most logical. That's all there was to it.

My point simply is that your original post was of no consequence or contribution to the topic at hand.

That's a matter of opinion. If you think that misreporting is of no consequence, that's a decision for you.

I reread the OP again and further noticed how selective you were. Quotes such as

after she rode to election glory on the coat-tails of her fugitive brother

and

Democrat Party limped to a distant second

were ignored.

Ignored because i think those comments reflect the truth. If you don't, up to you if you want to point out why you think that.

If you don't mind, I wish to discontinue this discussion now

I don't mind.

[webfact]

Vote tomorrow for new PM

By THE NATION

The House of Representatives Secretariat, at the order of new House Speaker Somsak Kiartsuranon, yesterday called a meeting of the new lower house for tomorrow morning to elect a new prime minister.

A letter calling for the meeting, designated "very urgent", was signed by House secretary-general Pithoon Pumhirun, according to a source.

Pheu Thai Party prime minister-in-waiting Yingluck Shinawatra said yesterday that the party's executive board would ensure its MPs voted together to elect the new government head.

Yingluck was asked whether Pheu Thai would include more political parties in its coalition - which now has six - if those parties voted to support her as new prime minister. She said she could not comment on the matter now although she would thank them for the future votes of approval.

In response to moves by Northeastern Pheu Thai MPs lobbying for Cabinet seats, Yingluck said: "The party will never forget people who have shared with us the times of joy and sorrow. We will try to do our best, so I ask for their sympathy."

The PM-in-waiting said she did not feel pressured over the lobbying by Northeastern politicians but that she would take their information into account for making decisions.

Regarding concern by aides of veteran Pheu Thai politician Chalerm Yoobamrung's that he might not get a Cabinet post, Yingluck said the party had reached no decision.

"Personally, I think Chalerm is capable, and he has worked for the party for a long time. He is another person the Pheu Thai Party will never forget," she said.

Yingluck said the Cabinet would be formed after the House voted to elect the new prime minister. However, she refused to answer how long it would take to allocate the Cabinet seats.

A Pheu Thai source said yesterday that the party had completed its allocation of Cabinet seats to coalition partners. Chart Thai Pattana would get the Agriculture and Tourism portfolios, Chart Pattana Puea Pandin the Industry portfolio, and Palang Chon, Science.

A ceremony for Yingluck to accept the royal command to appoint her as the new prime minister will take place at the Pheu Thai Party's headquarters at the OAI Building on Phetchaburi Road, according to another party source.

Previously, prime ministers from Thaksin Shinawatra's proxy parties - including Thaksin himself - always held the ceremony in their homes.

Meanwhile, Democrat Party spokesman Buranaj Smutharaks yesterday said the party resolved not to nominate any candidate to contest the prime minister's seat with Pheu Thai in tomorrow's House vote.

He said this was because Pheu Thai had won the voters' mandate by winning a majority in the July 3 election. However, the Democrat MPs would abstain during the vote, the spokesman added.

At the Parliament building yesterday afternoon, newly appointed House Speaker Somsak and his two deputies Charoen Jankomol and Visut Chainarun took part in a ceremony to accept the royal command appointing them to the positions.

The three Pheu Thai politicians on Tuesday were elected by the House and their appointments received the royal endorsement earlier yesterday.

-- The Nation 2011-08-04

[tartempion]

Parliament's vote on Friday is considered a formality in the selection of Yingluck, whose party won a thunderous majority in the July 3 election and has enlisted the support of several smaller parties in a coalition.

A majority by 3% is thunderous? My goodness me. What, if it was 7%. What superlative would have been suitable? Or perhaps just, "very thunderous"?

So what?

In Belgium they have that many parties they need 7 or 8 parties to agree this time to form a government, after over 400 days they still have not begun negotiating.

One party however won the election thunderously and won't participate in the negotiations

Thailand government constitution is a piece of cake in comparison.

Edited August 4, 2011 by tartempion