The vote will officially restore civilian rule after more than five years under junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha, who is nominated to stay in power by a coalition led by the pro-army Palang Pracharat Party. The vote for prime minister, who will form the next government this month, comes 10 weeks after a March 24 general election the opposition says was heavily weighted to favour pro-army parties. A new prime minister will need at least 376 votes, or more than half the parliament. Former Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva resigned from his post as a member of parliament earlier on Wednesday, saying he could not break a pre-election promise and vote along with his party to support Prayuth. With the backing of the Senate, Prayuth could easily gain enough votes to stay in power.

Source: Dhaka Tribune June 05, 2019 06:11 UTC