You’ve probably never heard of Yingluck Shinawatra, but she is now in history books forever. Yingluck Shinawatra was poised to become Thailand’s first female prime minister Sunday after her party won a majority of parliamentary seats in the nation’s general elections. The official tally had not yet been completed, but with more than 90 percent of votes counted Sunday night, Yingluck’s Pheu Thai party had won 262 seats in the country’s 500-seat parliament. “The first thing I want to do is help people on their economic situation,” she said earlier Sunday, refusing to declare victory until the official count was over. Minutes before, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva conceded that she had won. Yingluck is the younger sister of one of Thailand’s most polarizing political figures, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a 2006 military coup. Two years later, he left the country after being convicted on conflict of interest charges — accusations that he still denies. Flags with his image waved in the sticky night air outside the Pheu Thai headquarters. A child wearing a shirt with his sister Yingluck’s picture on it walked past them, trying to get closer to the celebration outside. Yingluck’s critics worry she will simply do her brother’s bidding — something she has denied. Before she even gave her victory speech, her brother shared his comments from exile in Dubai. “Well, I would tell them that I really want to go back, but I will wait for the right moment and the right situation,” Thaksin told reporters. The Pheu Thai party remains fiercely behind Thaksin and wants him to return. Oh. Yikes. Source
Excerpt from:
Who Run The World?! Thailand Elects First Female Prime Minister
