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Thailand to hold polls in 2017: Junta
BANGKOK: Thailand will hold a general election in 2017, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Tuesday, seeking to allay concerns his military government might
BANGKOK: Thailand will hold a general election in 2017, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Tuesday, seeking to allay concerns his military government might delay plans for a return to democracy, days after the country endorsed a military-backed constitution. The vote in favour of the constitution in Sunday’s referendum, the biggest test of public opinion since then army chief Prayuth seized power in a 2014 coup, is seen as a boost for the legitimacy of the government and its plans. Under the junta’s “roadmap” to restore democratic rule, Prayuth had previously said an election would be held in 2017. The confirmation, in his first public comments since the referendum, came after the US state department urged Thailand to take steps to restore an elected government as soon as possible.
