A brother-in-law of the ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra was elected Prime Minister of Thailand by Parliament today but will face an immediate battle to stay in office.

Somchai Wongsawat, a 61-year-old former judge, 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 cookery shows on television. Mr Somchai, who is married to Mr Thaksin’s politically powerful sister Yaowapa, will not take office until he is endorsed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a process that could take several days.

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

“It’s about time for national reconciliation in Thailand,” he added. “In the past we have had so many conflicts, but I personally don’t harbour any anger or hatred against anybody.”

The parliamentary vote came almost exactly two years after Mr 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 Mr 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?"<

The soft-spoken and bespectacled Mr Somchai was a career bureaucrat and judge before entering public life. His wife Yaowapa was banned from politics following the coup against Thaksin, who went on to buy - and then sell - the English Premier League football club Manchester City.

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

Meanwhile the Supreme Court today issued a third arrest warrant against Mr Thaksin, ordering him to appear before the judges to hear their verdict in a land scandal.

Mr Thaksin and his family have fled to Britain but maintain their innocence, claiming the charges are politically motivated. His allies in the PPP are fighting their own separate battles, including a vote fraud case that could result in the disbanding of the party.

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