The Latest: Thai Parliament votes for coup leader as PM

BANGKOK – The Latest on the vote in Thailand’s Parliament for prime minister (all times local):

11:55 p.m.

Official results say Thailand’s Parliament has selected 2014 coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha to stay on as prime minister.

The speaker of the House of Representatives announced after a parliamentary vote late Wednesday that Prayuth received 500 votes against 244 for Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the candidate of a coalition of anti-military parties.

Prayuth was nominated by a military-backed party that received the second-highest number of seats in the House in March elections. But his election was virtually assured because the prime minister is chosen in a joint vote of the 500-seat House and the 250-seat Senate, whose members were appointed by the junta Prayuth leads and include members of the military.

11:20 p.m.

An unofficial count says Thailand’s Parliament has given Prayuth Chan-ocha, who seized power in a 2014 military coup, enough votes to stay on as prime minister.

The military-backed party that nominated him won the second-highest number of seats in the House of Representatives in March elections.

But Prayuth’s election was virtually assured because the prime minister is chosen in a joint vote of the 500-seat House and the 250-seat Senate, whose members were appointed by the junta Prayuth leads.

With almost 83% of the vote counted, Prayuth had more than a majority of the possible votes. He had the support of the military-backed Palang Pracharath party, which holds 116 House seats, as well as lawmakers from smaller parties.

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1 p.m.

Thailand’s Parliament has convened for a vote that is expected to keep Prayuth Chan-ocha as prime minister five years after he seized power by military coup.

The military-backed party that nominated Prayuth won the second-highest number of seats in the House of Representatives in the March general election.

His election is virtually assured because the prime minister is chosen in a joint vote of the 500-seat House and the 250-seat Senate, whose members were appointed by the junta Prayuth leads.

He had the support of the military-backed Palang Pracharath party, which holds 116 House seats, as well as lawmakers from smaller parties, before the vote Wednesday.