Obama congratulates Thailand's first female prime minister

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Obama congratulates Thailand's first female prime minister

2011-08-14 10:44:58 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON (BNO NEWS) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday congratulated Thailand's first female prime minister on her election and the Thai people on the "success of the democratic process," the White House said.

In a telephone conversation, Obama and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra "underscored the enduring nature of the U.S.-Thailand friendship and alliance, and pledged to strengthen the bilateral relationship and work together to ensure peace and stability in the Asia Pacific," the White House said in a statement.

Yingluck, a top-party list Pheu Thai Member of Parliament, was elected prime minister on August 5 by a majority vote in the House of Representatives. The youngest sister of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra became Thailand's 28th Prime Minister and the first female to occupy the position.

The vote came a month after the Pheu Thai party won a convincing majority in the July 3 election and formed a six-party coalition controlling 300 seats in the 500-seat House.

Yingluck will face an uphill task to steer the country out of years of deep-rooted divide and revitalize its economy amid the financial situation in the United States and Europe. She has also pledged to restore national reconciliation and unity.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-08-14

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