Thailand’s first female prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra pays
respects to a portrait of His Majesty the King as she receives the
royalcommand appointing her as premier at PheuThai Party headquarters in
Bangkok yesterday. MsYingluck is the country’s 28th prime minister.
MEDIAPOOLHer cabinet line-up is expected to be submitted for royal endorsement today.
At 6.40pm yesterday, the secretary-general of the House of
Representatives Pitoon Pumhiran brought the royal command to the Pheu
Thai Party headquarters in Bangkok.
Mr Pitoon read out the royal command appointing Ms Yingluck as the
country's new premier after she was nominated for the top job
uncontested on Friday by the majority of members of the House of
Representatives.The royal command, which was countersigned by House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont, was then placed before a portrait of His Majesty the King.
Ms Yingluck, the younger sister of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, knelt and paid respects before the King's portrait as she received the command, to the cheers and applause of a huge crowd of supporters.
Also present were key Pheu Thai members, Shinawatra family members such as Somchai Wongsawat and Ms Yingluck's elder sister Yaowapa Wongsawat, Payap Shinawatra as well as leaders and key coalition party figures.
Ms Yingluck's husband, Anusorn Amornchat, and her son Suppasek, also attended the ceremony.
Speaking in her inauguration speech televised nationwide, Ms Yingluck said the royal command appointing her as prime minister was the highest honour bestowed upon her and her family.
She pledged allegiance to the monarchy and her full commitment towards working in the best interests of the country and the public.
"I would like to thank the public, party members, party MPs and the brothers and sisters who joined in the ideology of democracy in supporting me to become prime minister.
"I regard it as part of my great responsibility to enlist the support and strength of people in all sectors of society to ensure the nation can overcome its problems and win recognition from foreign countries," Ms Yingluck said.
At one point in her speech, Ms Yingluck quoted part of a royal address given by His Majesty the King on Jan 24, 1989 when the King presided over a ceremony to bestow degrees upon graduates at Chiang Mai University. Ms Yingluck also attended the ceremony then as a graduate.
The King's speech had stressed the importance of using wisdom to change oneself and improve one's work efficiency. The King also called on the graduates to be willing to coordinate efforts and work with others to achieve the desired results.
Ms Yingluck said she would use the King's speech as a guideline to help with the work of her government.
She promised that she would do her best to bring about happiness and restore national harmony.
She said she realised being a woman prime minister in such difficult circumstances was a challenge and that many people have high expectations of her.
"But I believe that being a woman will not be an obstacle to my work. I am determined to do my utmost to bring about happiness and to ease suffering,"she said.
Pheu Thai party list-MP Sanoh Thienthong said that the cabinet line-up is expected to be submitted for royal endorsement today.
He said that it is normal that some party members may be left out of the cabinet given the limited number of 35 seats, although this should not cause any rifts in party ranks.
Former prime minister Somchai, Thaksin's brother-in-law, dismissed reports that he and his wife Ms Yaowapa had a hand in choosing the cabinet.
He said the new cabinet members should do their best to win the hearts and minds of the people.
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