THAILAND'S RULING party picked the brother-in-law of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as their nominee for the country's top job yesterday.
But the People Power Party's (PPP) choice of Somchai Wongsawat (61), who is married to Mr Thaksin's sister, Yaowapa Wongsawasdi, heralds more unrest after anti-government protesters attacked his nomination.
The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), whose activists have occupied the prime minister's Bangkok compound for almost three weeks, had originally demanded that former prime minister Samak Sundaravej step down, accusing him of being a corrupt Thaksin puppet.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political analyst, said: "Somchai is going to be a sitting duck if he takes over the premiership, because the PAD will attack his fatal weakness as being Thaksin's brother-in-law."
Mr Samak (73) was forced to quit last week when a court ruled he had violated the constitution by hosting four episodes of his long-running cookery show after he took office, breaching rules barring ministers' business links.
PPP members exploited a loophole in the constitution - rewritten after the 2006 coup that ousted Mr Thaksin - and immediately renominated him for prime minister. But Mr Samak withdrew on Friday after a revolt in his party and the five coalition partners.
PPP chiefs picked Mr Somchai after much debate, with Mr Thaksin, who fled corruption charges for refuge in England, lobbying by phone.
- (Guardian service)