Thailand Elects Country’s First Female Prime Minister

Millions of Thais cast their ballots on Sunday, voting Yingluck Shinawatra (pictured), who fronts the Puea Thai party, into power in a landslide victory against the Democrat incumbent, Abhisit Vejjajiva, reports Al-Jazeera English.

Yingluck, the sister of Thaksin Shinawatra, the self-exiled former prime minister, led her party to an extraordinary victory, five tumultuous years after her fugitive billionaire brother was toppled in an army coup. She is set to become the country’s first female prime minister.

Yingluck announced she had agreed a coalition deal with four minor parties that would give the new government 299 seats, reports Guardian.co.uk.

Puea Thai won an absolute majority with 264 seats in the 500-seat parliament, according to preliminary election commission results that could still shift somewhat. But by moving fast to cement its triumph with outside support has made it harder for opponents to intervene.

Yingluck said her first task was the “roadmap to reconciliation” after years of unrest. She also cited the need to tackle high prices, improve international relations and curb corruption.

Meanwhile, outgoing Democrat prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he had decided to step down as party leader — although his right-hand man Surichoke Sopha, also a Democrat MP, said he believed the party still wanted Abhisit.

Surichoke added: “I don’t think this [Puea Thai] government will last long…They will have to compromise with the ruling class and at the same time satisfy the grassroots.”

The country has become polarised between Thaksin supporters – particularly the rural poor and new money – and the old elites that sought to keep him from power with the support of the urban middle classes.

The split became even more entrenched when more than 90 people died as the military cracked down on Thaksin-supporting protesters in the centre of Bangkok last year. While redshirt leaders were jailed over the demonstrations, the government refused to acknowledge that the army had caused any deaths.

Photo (cropped): Paula Bronstein/Getty