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| | GEO World | | New Thai cabinet sworn in as protests continue | Updated at: 1824 PST, Thursday, September 25, 2008
HUA HIN: Thailand's new cabinet was formally sworn into office Thursday in a ceremony presided over by the country's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat on Wednesday unveiled a line up of veteran politicians, academics and allies of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra -- his brother-in-law -- after days of tough negotiations within the ruling coalition.
"I hope the cabinet will be successful. It is not easy these days to achieve in work. I wish (you all) to do your duty as you have sworn," Bhumibol told the new team of ministers at his home in the southern coastal resort of Hua Hin.
Parliament last week elected Somchai as Thailand's 26th prime minister after his tough-talking predecessor Samak Sundaravej was forced from the job when a court ruled he had taken illegal payments for a TV cooking show.
But anti-government protesters have been camped out for a month at Thailand's main government complex in Bangkok, meaning the cabinet will need to find somewhere else to work.
The royalist protesters have vowed to bring down any government with links to Thaksin, who was forced from power in a September 2006 coup. |  |
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