Thailand's parliament elected Srettha Thavisin, a former property tycoon from the Pheu Thai party, which garnered the second-highest votes in the May 14 general election, as prime minister on Tuesday, ending a prolonged wait for a new government.
The vote took place just a day after Pheu Thai announced its coalition with 10 other parties, including those that supported the pro-military government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who declared his retirement from politics last month.
The coalition spearheaded by Pheu Thai faced criticism from voters who, in the election, rejected Prayut's government and favored the liberal junior opposition, the Move Forward party.
Srettha, who has no experience as a politician, won the vote hours after ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand. Pheu Thai is the political vehicle of Thaksin, who had been in self-imposed exile for around 15 years.
Srettha secured 482 votes in the parliament, which currently comprises 498 members of the House of Representatives and 249 senators appointed by the military, the parliament reported.
After winning the parliamentary vote, Srettha told reporters, "I will do my best to upgrade people's living."
Pheu Thai had initially formed a coalition with Move Forward, which garnered the most votes in the May 14 election, and other parties following the poll.
Pheu Thai dissolved its coalition with Move Forward after the parliament rejected its leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, as the new prime minister last month. This decision was largely driven by significant opposition to his efforts to amend the country's stringent laws against insulting the monarchy.
Despite earlier collaborations, the new coalition formed with 10 other parties, including Prayut's United Thai Nation party and Palang Pracharath Party, another pro-military faction, stipulated two conditions -- they would not amend the lese majeste law and Move Forward would be excluded from the government formation, according to Pheu Thai.
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