Thai parliament elects Samak as PM

Thailand's parliament elected right-winger Samak Sundaravej prime minister yesterday as the country returns to representative, civilian government after a bloodless September 2006 coup.

The 72-year-old has vowed to push for ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to return from exile, putting him on a collision course with the royalist elite accused of masterminding the coup - especially the king's top adviser, Prem Tinsulanonda.

Analysts believe Samak, whose hatred of Prem is legendary, will try to rescind a five-year political ban imposed on Thaksin and 110 leading members of his Thai Rak Thai party before making way for his political patron to assume the top job once again.