The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Bangkok

A brother-in-law of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra was elected Thai prime minister by parliament Wednesday but faced immediate opposition from protesters who vowed to force him from office.

Somchai Wongsawat, 61, called for reconciliation with the protesters who have occupied the prime minister's offices for the last three weeks in a bid to topple the government.

His predecessor Samak Sundaravej was removed from the post last week by a court that found he was illegally paid for hosting TV cooking shows.

Somchai, who is married to Thaksin's politically powerful sister Yaowapa, will not take office until he is endorsed by Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a process that could take several days.

"We have to make Thailand a liveable country again," Somchai told reporters, after winning 298 votes in the 480-seat parliament.

"It's about time for national reconciliation in Thailand," he said.

"In the past we have had so many conflicts, but I personally don't harbour any anger or hatred against anybody," he added.

The parliamentary vote came almost exactly two years after Thaksin was toppled by the military following months of rallies by the same anti-government activists, known as the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD).

The PAD quickly vowed to press ahead with their campaign to force Somchai and his entire People Power Party (PPP) out of government, with the ultimate goal of curtailing democracy in Thailand.

"We all know that he is Thaksin's brother-in-law," said Somsak Kosaisuk, a key PAD leader. "He is not only a nominee for Thaksin. He has direct relations. How can people accept this?"

Somchai was a respected career bureaucrat and former judge before entering public life. His wife Yaowapa was banned from politics following the coup against Thaksin.

He was made a deputy PPP leader after winning a parliamentary seat, along with his daughter, in elections last December. Somchai only became a prime ministerial candidate after Samak was removed from office last week.

The PPP leadership tried to return Samak to office in a parliamentary vote on Friday, but critics in the party boycotted the session.