Friday, February 09, 2001, updated at 19:13(GMT+8)
World
Thaksin Elected Thai PM
Thailand's House of Representative elected Thaksin Shinawatra, a telecom tycoon-turned- politician, the country's next prime minister on Friday.
Thaksin, 51, got 340 votes out of the parliament's 500 members. 127 lawmakers voted against him and 30 abstained.
Thaksin has said he will submit the list of cabinet members to the cabinet secretary-general next Monday, expecting the King will endorse the nomination by February 15.
Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) Party, winning a runaway victory in the general election on January 6 by claiming 248 seats, has formed a ruling coalition with Chart Thai Party and New Aspiration Party by commanding 325 seats in the parliament.