While the final no-confidence debate targeting Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his crew was under way at home last week, my focus was on India's presidential election. The result was widely welcomed as veteran tribal politician Draupadi Murmu made history.
Ms Murmu, 64, is the first tribal member and the second female president in the history of independent India. She will take the oath of office today as the successor to Ram Nath Kovind.
Belonging to the forest-dependent Santal tribe from Odisha state, she hails from an underprivileged class -- a factor not lost on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which nominated her as it looks ahead to future elections in multiple states.
