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BANGKOK - Thailand's ruling party endorsed the brother-in-law of former leader Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday as its nominee to become the next Prime Minister, paving the way for more strife with anti-government protesters.
After days of talks, the executive committee of the People's Power Party agreed to nominate acting Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat at a parliamentary vote scheduled for today, said party spokesman Kuthep Saikrajang.
Somchai served as a Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister under Samak Sundaravej, who was forced to resign as premier last week for violating the constitution. But Somchai is best known as the brother-in-law of Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 coup.
The People's Alliance for Democracy, a strident anti-government group whose supporters have occupied the Prime Minister's office compound since August 26, immediately rejected Somchai as a future Prime Minister.
The anti-government protesters accused Samak of being a stooge for Thaksin, who fled to Britain to escape corruption charges.
"Somchai is very close to the Shinawatra family," said Chamlong Srimuanng, a protest leader. "He is Thaksin's brother-in-law and will be even more his proxy than Samak ever was."
Anti-government protesters initially said their goal was to remove Samak but now say they will not accept any successor from his party or ally of Thaksin.
- AP
