Coalition parties agree on candidate for PM election

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• published: 21 Jul 2015
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SHOTLIST September 16, 2008 1. Somchai Wongsawat enters meeting of governing coalition parties ahead of attempt to unify behind one candidate for Wednesday's election of a new Prime Minister 2. Banharn Silpa-Archa, the leader of one of the coalition parties, walks into the meeting 3. Various of representatives of the coalition parties sitting around meeting table 4. Cutaway media 5. Wide shot Somchai and others assembling for news conference following the meeting that selected him as the sole candidate of the governing coalition 6. Cutaway media 7. SOUNDBITE: (Thai) Somchai Wongsawat, Candidate for Thai Prime Minister: "I hope from now on I'll be able to do a good job. Anything that's gone wrong in the previous government, which was also comprised of these same parties, I hope to improve, to fix." FILE - 28 February 2008 8. Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra pays his respects to Thai soil upon returning from self-imposed exile (Somchai Wongsawat is his brother-in-law) September 16, 2008 9. Wide news conference with coalition members sitting facing media 10. SOUNDBITE: (Thai) Somchai Wongsawat, Thai caretaker prime minister "This government is not here to protect any particular person. We're here to protect all the people. That (the Thaksin case) is a private case and is being taken care of by the judicial system. Everything's being carried out under the system. The government's duty is to support and ensure that the judicial system is working properly within the law." FILE - 26 August 2008 11. Various as anti-government demonstrators storm Government House September 16, 2008 12. SOUNDBITE: (Thai) Somchai Wongsawat, Thai caretaker prime minister: "Our country is divided and people are getting tired of the problem. We, the six parties, are determined to solve this crisis." 13. Cutaway media 14. Various as coalition partners raise Somchai's arms to celebrate his candidature STORYLINE: Thailand's ruling coalition has ended a day of fevered political speculation by agreeing to choose the brother-in-law of ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra as its candidate for Prime Minister. The coalition's backing - announced at an evening news conference in Bangkok - means Somchai Wongsawat is almost certain to be elected at Wednesday's vote in parliament. Earlier, a rift within the biggest party had led to threats to dissolve the House and call a general election, but a day of tough-talking behind closed doors quelled the rebellion. Sixty-one-year-old Somchai Wongsawat was the education minister under Samak Sundaravej, who was forced to step down last week by a court ruling. He's spent most of public life as a judge and as a bureaucrat. He told reporters on Tuesday evening that he hoped he could do a good job as prime minister and put right whatever went wrong in the past months. Somchai has won cautious approval from some observers for his apparent competence but it is likely his relationship to Thaksin Shinawatra will cause him major problems. Thaksin was overthrown in a coup two years ago after accusations of corruption and cronyism led to huge public protests. He returned to Thailand in February this year but fled to England last month as a slew of court cases began apparently to go against him. Several warrants have been issued for his arrest. He remains the single most divisive figure in recent Thai history. On Tuesday Somchai pledged that he wouldn't use his position to help his brother-in-law. But such assurances will not win over the so-called People's Alliance for Democracy, the anti-government movement that's taken over the Government House complex. They oppose the entire structure of the country's democracy and are demanding a parliament that's largely appointed. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/6135999f7529fb01f9c32010d7637ecb Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork