Thai PM-to-be denies being brother's puppet

[July 08, 2011]  BANGKOK (AP) -- Thailand's prime minister-to-be insisted Friday that she will make her own decisions as the country's leader, and not act as the puppet of her exiled brother, ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Yingluck Shinawatra said that 20 years of experience in the business world has shown she can make her own decisions, but added that she will consult with the Pheu Thai Party management team that helped her to victory and the Cabinet she will appoint.

The opposition Pheu Thai party won 265 of 500 parliamentary seats in a July 3 general election, and has agreed to form a six-party ruling coalition that will hold 300 seats in total. The outgoing ruling Democrats of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva won 159 seats.

Yingluck is set to officially become prime minister after she is elected by the members of Parliament when they convene later this month. Some last-ditch legal efforts are challenging her election victory.

On Friday, one of the main lawyers for the Democrat Party said he has asked the Election Commission to act against Pheu Thai for violating electoral and political party laws.

Wirat Kalayasiri alleges in his complaint that Thaksin and a deputy Chaturon Chaiseng were involved in Pheu Thai's electoral affairs despite being under a five-year ban on political activities.

The law is not crystal-clear, but a judgment against Pheu Thai could conceivably result in its dissolution, as has happened to two previous pro-Thaksin parties. However, a new ban apparently would not affect either Yingluck or most of her party's lawmakers, who could carry on their duties under another party name.

Wirat was elected as a Democrat lawmaker but said he acted on his own and not for his party.

Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in 2006 after being accused of corruption and disrespect to the country's monarchy. He is generally credited for engineering the comeback of his political machine, despite being in exile to avoid a jail term on a corruption charge. His remarks during the campaign that his sister was his "clone" reinforced suspicions that he would be pulling the strings and perhaps manipulating the new government to give him an amnesty.

Yingluck, in a news conferences with foreign journalists, said she couldn't avoid being Thaksin's sister, and would try to benefit from his ideas on how to help Thailand. But she said she would make decisions for the country "independently."

"Please give me a chance and I will prove myself for all of you," she said.

Aside from Friday's legal challenge, other Thaksin foes are trying to force her out by tying her to her brother's complicated and questionable financial dealings. In another case, she is being accused of trying to bribe voters because she once helped fry some noodles during a photo opportunity on the campaign trail, and portions were then distributed to onlookers.

Yingluck said she was comfortable in politics because her father and siblings have been involved, but decided to take part only after her brother's supporters came to ask her help in trying to bring back his policies. She said she was moved by what she saw in their "eyes and faces."

Yingluck parried many questions about her planned policies, saying she preferred to wait until her election victory was officially certified and she takes office.

Much of the traditional Thai establishment, including senior military figures, loathe Thaksin. There are fears of another military coup if Yingluck tried to rehabilitate him.

She has said only that a commission will investigate matters of justice starting with the coup against Thaksin, and presumably including other political activities since then, including the aggressive street protests of Thaksin's supporters and opponents, and state action taken to suppress them.

Yingluck was optimistic that the military would not stage another coup, citing their recent promises to stay out of politics. She said the army was aware that for the past five years, "the country has been moving backward. ... and people do not want to hurt Thailand again."

She also asked the world community to "help Thailand reinstall democracy, and trust and respect the people's decision."

[Associated Press]

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