Backgrounder: Thailand's power changes after Thaksin ousted in 2006

    BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Thailand has experienced frequent power changes after former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted on Sept. 19, 2006 in a bloodless coup. The following is a chronology of the changes.
    December 2007: The People's Power Party (PPP), which supported ousted prime minister Thaksin, won the parliamentary election. Samak Sundaravej, chairman of the PPP, became prime minister on Dec. 23, 2007 and formed a six-party coalition government.
    Sept. 9, 2008: The constitution Court of Thailand ruled that Samak violates the charter by hosting cooking shows on TV programs after he became prime minister. And he lost premiership as a result.
    Sept. 17, 2008: Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksin's brother-in-law and also vice chairman of the PPP, was elected as the new prime minister after Samak.
    Dec. 2, 2008: The Constitution Court announced dissolution of the PPP and two other parties in the coalition government, a ruling which disqualified Somchai as prime minister and banned him from politics for five years.
    Dec. 15, 2008: Abhisit Vejjajiva, leader of the largest opposition party the Democratic Party, was elected as prime minister.

Editor: Deng Shasha

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