Thailand MPs elect new House Speaker

Bangkok, July 5 Thailand's former President of the bicameral National Assembly, Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, was elected as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives after his nomination for the position in the Parliament was uncontested.

Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party, nominated Wan Noor in a parliamentary session where the newly elected 500-member lower house on Tuesday convened to elect its new Speaker, and first and second Deputy Speakers, Xinhua news agency reported.

In his address to the Parliament, Wan Noor, leader of the Prachachat Party, said that he will be politically neutral and will adhere to the king's instructions given on Monday during the official opening of the new parliamentary session.

Under the Thai constitution, the House speaker will also be the president of the National Assembly. After the King has royally endorsed the position, the new House speaker will call a joint session of the parliament, comprising 500 MPs in the lower house and 250 senators in the upper house, to elect a new prime minister.

Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, 79, was previously Thailand's House speaker from 1996 to 2000, and headed the interior ministry, transport ministry or agriculture ministry in previous governments.

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