Yingluck not yet confirmed
THAILAND: Prime minister-in-waiting Yingluck Shinawatra said Wednesday that she was confident that alleged campaign irregularities which are holding up her appointment would be dismissed.
Friday 15 July 2011, 06:47AM
The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday put off a decision on whether to approve Yingluck and 141 other candidates, including outgoing premier Abhisit Vejjajiva, as members of the 500-seat lower house.
“There’s still time left under the law. I think the EC is trying to finish its investigation,” she said. “I hope and am confident that the EC will treat me and my Pheu Thai Party with fairness and justice.”
Any move to disqualify Yingluck – the brother of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawtra – would infuriate the opposition “Red Shirt” protest movement that was behind mass rallies in Bangkok last year that turned deadly.
Yingluck has formed a six-party coalition that will control about three-fifths of the lower chamber.
The new Parliament must convene within 30 days of the July 3 election to select a house speaker, and has another 30 days to pick a prime minister.
The election commission is investigating complaints by Abhisit’s Democrat Party that banned politicians such as Thaksin were involved in its rivals’ campaign, whose slogan was “Thaksin thinks, Pheu Thai does.”
Yingluck has denied the accusations, saying she only received guidance from her brother, who is in exile.
“He merely offered ideas and advice but was not involved in the party administration and decisions,” she said of Thaksin, who is widely seen as the de facto opposition leader. – AFP
