Thai Parliament elects Somchai as new prime minister

Somchai Wongsawat was elected by Thailand's Parliament on Wednesday as the Kingdom's 26th prime minister. He succeeds Samak Sundaravej, leader of the People's Power Party (PPP).

Somchai, 61, is a brother-in-law of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted from power in a military-led coup in 2006.

A law-school graduate and former judge, Somchai served as permenant secretary of the Justice Ministry from 1999 to 2006. Under Samak's administration, he served as education minister and deputy prime minister.

Samak was ordered to step down as prime minister in a court ruling that said he violated the constitution when he was paid to host a television cooking show while in office.

The PPP-led government has been beset by mass protests from the People's Alliance for Democracy, a group that has occupied Government House for the past three weeks. PAD is calling for the removal of the PPP from power, holding that the party was acting as a nominee for Thaksin, whose Thai Rak Thai party was disbanded over corruption charges. Thaksin himself faces several corruption charges, but is now in exile with his family in England.

Though Somchai has sought to downplay his ties to Thaksin, his election as prime minister will likely not be good enough for PAD to end its protests.