Thailand Elects First Female Prime Minister

Sister of fugitive ex-PM wins in landslide

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Yingluck Shinawatra has become the first female prime minister of Thailand, reports BBC News. She is the younger sister of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in 2006 in a coup. The New York Times is reporting that Yingluck's Pheu Thai party won a projected 264 of a possible 500 seats available in the Thai Parliament.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva conceded defeat after his military- supported Democrat Party succeeded in only winning 160 seats Sunday. Thaksin Shinawatra, a populist leader who championed the poor, was ousted in 2006 by the military after being elected prime minister twice, once in 2001 and again in 2005. He is currently in Dubai evading an abuse of power charge, but he spoke to a Thai television station Sunday saying, "I believe all sides have to respect the decision of the people. If any country doesn’t respect the decisions of its people, there’s no way it is going to find peace."

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