January 28, 2008
Thailand Elects New Prime Minister
More than a year after a coup removed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Thai citizens chose one of his close allies for his old job in today's round of elections. Samak Sundaravej, a 72-year-old right-wing politician, was elected with a substantial majority in parliament, in a step largely seen as a move back toward democracy following a big shake-up in the country after the September 2006 coup.
But the New York Times is predicting trouble ahead for the new leader: "Samak is disliked by the Thai press and intelligentsia and is deeply resented by civil rights groups for his support of deadly crackdowns on peaceful protesters in the 1970s and 1990s." See the full story for more.
