Abhisit Vejjajiva, the outgoing Thai prime minister, was re-elected as the leader of the pro- establishment Democrat Party in a party meeting at Miracle Grand Hotel, Bangkok, on Saturday morning.

Abhisit recieved 96 percent of votes in favor. The rest 4 percent abstained from voting.

No other candidates were nominated.

Chalermchai Sri-on, Democrat MP from Prachuap Khiri Khan province, will replace Suthep Thaugsuban, currently Acting Deputy Pirme Minister, as Democrat secretary-general.

Abhisit Vejjajiva announced his resignation as party leader after the party lost in the general election on July 3. 

The Oxford- educated prime minister was once the youngest prime minister of Thailand and probably the youngest leader of the Democrat Party, the oldest and most institutionalized party of the country.

Yingluck Shinwatra, fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra`s sister, was elected by the House of Representatives on Friday to be the 28th prime minister of Thailand.

Almost 60 percent or 296 of all 500 lawmakers voted in favor of Yingluck to be the first female prime minister of the country. (H-AK)

Source: ANTARA