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Thailand's opposition leader, Abhisit Vejjajiva, has been confirmed as the country's new prime minister after winning a special vote in parliament.

The speaker of the lower house, Chai Chidchob, said the Democrat Party leader had beaten ex-police chief Pracha Promnok by 235 votes to 198.

Mr Abhisit will become Thailand's fifth leader in a little over two years.

The previous Prime Minister, Somchai Wongsawat, was forced to resign after a court ruling earlier this month.

The constitutional court found his governing People Power Party (PPP) guilty of fraud during the last election a year ago, and banned it and two other parties in the governing coalition. Mr Somchai and several other PPP leaders were also barred from politics.

However, lawmakers from the three parties who escaped the politics ban quickly formed new "shell" party - Puea Thai (For Thailand) - or joined other parties.

On Sunday, Mr Somchai's brother-in-law, exiled former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, accused the army of using the courts to undermine the government and warned them not to interfere in politics. - source: BBC