Thailand's Election Paved the way for Yingluck Shinawatra to Become the PM

In Thailand’s election on 3 July 2011 Yingluck Shinawatra from the Pheu Thai (PT) party, had a stunning victory aginst her opposition party, Democrat Party. She is all set to become Thailand’s first female Prime Minister. Pheu Thai was backed by exiled former Premier of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra. Yingluck Shinawatra is Thaksin’s youngest sister. Yingluck Shinawatra was a run-of-the-mill businesswoman by profession.

The election commission of Thailand announced on 4 July 2011 that Pheu Thai won an outright majority, taking 265 of 500 seats in the Thai parliament. The ruling Democrat Party took just 159 seats, down from the 170 which they occupied in the Abhisit Vejjajiva’s rulling assembly of 480 seats. A handful of smaller parties are to share the remainder seats. Some parties are clambering to join PT in a coalition government.

The voting turnout in Thailand was nearly 75%, as Thais came out to vote last in 2007. The royalist generals had the biggest loss who tried and failed to stop PT in its tracks. After the election result, the outgoing Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, announced that he would step down as the Democrat Party’s leader.