Thailand's military-ruled parliament has elected General Prayuth Chan-ocha as the country's new prime minister, nearly three months after he seized power in a bloodless coup.
Thursday's unanimous election of the 60-year-old army chief was a foregone conclusion, since he was the only candidate for the post. Prayuth has led the junta since forcing Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government out of power.
Prayuth will step down as army chief next month. He plans to stay in power until new elections are held in late 2015.
Thailand has been plagued by political unrest since 2006, when former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Yingluck Shinawatra's older brother, was ousted in a military coup in 2006. Thaksin and his sister were bitterly opposed by Bangkok's traditionalist political elite.