 |
| Yingluck Shinawatra |
The Puea Thai Party of Yingluck Shinawatra has 265 seats in the 500 seat parliament and it's announced a five party coalition.
That's raised hopes of an end to Thailand's political instability.
Sue Lannin reports.
It's been a decisive election win for Yingluck Shinawatra, a political newcomer.
Her Puea Thai Party won a majority of the seats in the parliament, a clear vote of support for her brother the former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
But the 44-year-old businesswoman is hoping to hold together a coalition government.
YINGLUCK SHINAWATRA: If we combine with Chart Thai Pattana so at least we have more than half.
SUE LANNIN: Mr Thaksin was overthrown in a military coup in 2006. He lives in Dubai to avoid a jail term for corruption at home.
He's described Yingluck as his clone and was seen as the power behind the throne. Not surprisingly he's welcomed the result.
THAKSIN SHINAWATRA: Well I feel grateful to the Thai people that the turnout is very high and then the efforts they made.
SUE LANNIN: The question now is will the incoming prime minister seek to bring her brother back from exile and will the country's elite accept any such move?
Mr Thaksin says he is no rush to return to Thailand.
THAKSIN SHINAWATRA: I'm not hurry to go back. I want to see the reconciliation to happen first.
SUE LANNIN: Mr Thaksin's overthrow triggered a political crisis which saw violence break out last year between his supporters, the Red Shirts, and the military. More than 90 people were killed in the unrest in central Bangkok.
The army backed outgoing prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, stepped down today as the head of the Democratic Party and the outgoing defence minister, a retired general, says the military won't get involved.
Andrew Walker is an expert in Thai politics at the Australian National University.
ANDREW WALKER: I think over the last few years Thailand has lost faith in democratic institutions and hopefully with this very clear result there can be some building of that faith again.
Yingluck may have the advantage of in a sense her political freshness. She's waged a very positive campaign. She's looked forward to the future.
SUE LANNIN: Carl Trocki is Professor of Asian Studies at the Queensland University of Technology. He expects Thaksin Shinawatra to return to Thailand with an amnesty.
CARL TROCKI: He wouldn't come back without an amnesty and that's what they would do if they were going to bring him back is they would declare some kind of an amnesty and then you know sort of forgive all sorts of charges for you know other opposition parties or figures that they think might charge with something, thus make clear the way for him to come back without the need to face any criminal charges.
SUE LANNIN: When would you expect him to come back?
CARL TROCKI: I don't know for sure. It really depends on how much the Puea Thai Party thinks they can get away with.
SUE LANNIN: Would that encourage more political unrest?
CARL TROCKI: Oh certainly. If neither side was willing to back down I mean then we might see a situation where the country could actually move into civil war. That's the real possibility.
