Ex-Thai Prime Minister Leekpai Elected As Lower House's Speaker

The Thai lower house, which has recently convened for the first time after the five-year military rule, elected veteran politician Chuan Leekpai, a former prime minister and ex-leader of the Democrat Party, as its speaker on Saturday, with the voting live broadcast by Thai television

BANGKOK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th May, 2019) The Thai lower house, which has recently convened for the first time after the five-year military rule, elected veteran politician Chuan Leekpai, a former prime minister and ex-leader of the Democrat Party, as its speaker on Saturday, with the voting live broadcast by Thai television.

Leekpai, 80, won in a 258-235 vote, beating his rival, Sompong Amornvivat. One lawmaker abstained, while six out of 500 members of parliament were absent from the session, being under suspicion of violating election legislation during the March 24 vote.

Secret ballots were counted by hand.

Leekpai already served as speaker of the lower house in 1986-1988. He also was prime minister from 1992 to 1995 and from 1997 to 2001. From 1991 to 2003, the politician was at the helm of Thailand's oldest Democrat Party.

Thailand, which has been ruled by the military government since 2014 coup, held its first general election since 2011 on March 24.