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New Thai prime minister elected New Thai prime minister elected
(40 minutes later)
Thailand's opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has won enough votes in parliament to become the country's new prime minister. Thailand's opposition leader, Abhisit Vejjajiva, has been confirmed as the country's new prime minister after winning a special vote in parliament.
The Democrats, who were defeated in the last general elections in December, has backed Mr Vejjajiva for the post. The speaker of the lower house, Chai Chidchob, said the Democrat Party leader had beaten ex-police chief Pracha Promnok by 235 votes to 198.
He becomes the country's fifth leader in a little over two years, winning the vote by 235 to 198 in parliament. Mr Abhisit will become Thailand's fifth leader in a little over two years.
The previous Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat was forced to resign by a court ruling earlier this month. The previous Prime Minister, Somchai Wongsawat, was forced to resign after a court ruling earlier this month.
The court found his party, the People Power Party (PPP), guilty of fraud during the last election a year ago, and banned it and two other parties in the governing coalition. The constitutional court found his governing People Power Party (PPP) guilty of fraud during the last election a year ago, and banned it and two other parties in the governing coalition. Mr Somchai was also barred from politics.
They have now regrouped under new names, but the opposition Democrat Party has won over enough defectors and unaligned MPs to win support. The parties have now regrouped under new names, but the Democrat Party won over enough defectors and unaligned MPs to win support.
Thailand has been in political deadlock for months as anti-government protesters have mounted a campaign to remove the governing party. The BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok says Mr Abhisit will immediately be confronted by some formidable challenges - rebuilding economic confidence, healing deep political divisions, and making an unwieldy coalition government perform better than its recent predecessors.
They accused the PPP of being a proxy for Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006. The country was stricken by months of political deadlock as anti-government protesters mounted a campaign to topple the PPP.
The protest culminated in a week-long occupation of Bangkok's main international airport that left 300,000 foreign tourists stranded. The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) accused the party of being a proxy for Mr Thaksin, who was ousted in a coup in 2006.
The opposition called off its action after the recent decision by the constitutional court to disband the PPP. The protest culminated in a week-long occupation of Bangkok's main international airport which left 300,000 foreign tourists stranded.
The PAD called off its action following the constitutional court ruling.