Thai opposition poised to take power

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Thailand's Parliament has convened to elect a new prime minister in wake of mass protests that paralyzed the government for months. The Democrat Party, which has not been in power for eight years, was confident Monday that it had the support of enough lawmakers to elect its Oxford-educated leader, Abhisit Vejjajiva, as the country's new prime minister. But parties loyal to the legacy of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra also claim to have enough votes to name their candidate, former national police chief Pracha Promnok, to the top spot. The lower house vote comes after months of instability caused by anti-government demonstrations that culminated late last month with a weeklong takeover of Bangkok's two airports.