Thai election commission paves way for first female prime minister

Jul 19, 2011, 11:03 GMT

Bangkok - Thailand's Election Commission on Tuesday endorsed the poll victory of Yingluck Shinawatra, bringing her one step closer to becoming the country's first female prime minister.

The commission dismissed allegations that Yingluck had violated election rules by campaigning for the July 3 polls with the public backing of banned politicians, including her brother Thaksin Shinawatra, commissioner Sodsri Sattayatham told reporters.

Thaksin, who has been living in self exile since 2008 to avoid a two-year jail sentence in Thailand, is the de facto leader of the Pheu Thai party, which won 265 out of 500 seats in this month's general election.

The commission still needs to approve a total of 475 of the elected parliamentarians before Pheu Thai can form a government and Yingluck, 44, can become the country's next prime minister and first woman to obtain the office.

The commission has been investigating complaints regarding 139 of the successful candidates.

On Tuesday, the commission also endorsed outgoing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who had been accused of using a goverment trade fair to solicit votes.

There were fears that Thailand's political establishment, comprising the military, bureaucrats, royalists and old business groups, would pressure the Election Commission to disqualify Yingluck's candidacy or dissolve the Pheu Thai party.

Thaksin, a former billionaire telecommunications tycoon turned populist politician, was perceived as a threat to Thailand's political status quo with his dual premierships between 2001 and 2006.

Although initially popular across Thai society, Thaksin lost the backing of many of the Bangkok-based middle and upper classes five years into his rule, due to an increasingly autocratic style and self-serving economic policies.

He was toppled by a coup in September, 2006, but has remained a pivotal player in Thailand's volatile political scene for the past five years.