BANGKOK, August 1, 2011- Thailand’s new parliament is to officially open on Monday, faced with the daunting challenge of bringing stability to the kingdom after five years of political turmoil.

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn presided over the opening ceremony in the capital Bangkok in the late afternoon, the palace has said, allowing the 500-seat lower house chamber to get to work later in the week.

Within days, MPs are expected to vote in the country’s first female prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra of the Pheu Thai party, which on July 3 won a crushing electoral victory to take power from the pro-establishment Democrats.

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