Thailand heads for elections as Prayuth issues decree to dissolve parliament

Name: Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha suspended from official duties pending term-limit review
Uploaded: 2023-03-17T11:03:02.000Z
Duration: 2 min 23 s
Description: Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha suspended from official duties pending term-limit review

Unpopular former coup leader aims to extend 8-year rule via new party; polls will be ‘battle of ideology’ on whether nation will become more liberal, says expert

There are at least 3 million first-time voters, who came of age during massive youth protest in 2020 demanding Prayuth’s resignation

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Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. He seized power in 2014. Photo: Reuters

Bloomberg

Published: 7:03pm, 17 Mar 2023Updated: 7:34pm, 17 Mar 2023

Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has issued a decree to dissolve parliament, paving the way for elections in May as the former coup leader seeks to extend military-backed rule despite his widespread unpopularity.

Prayuth, 68, has submitted the decree for royal endorsement, he told reporters during a trip to Chiang Mai on Friday, which would take effect once published in the Royal Gazette.

The order, that may be published on March 20, comes just days before the House of Representatives’ four-year term ends, as Prayuth buys time to campaign and recruit members to run for his new party, which lists him as the sole prime minister candidate.

By law, a national vote must be held within 60 days of the dissolution of parliament. The Election Commission has initially pencilled in polling for May 7 but a final date will be confirmed later on.

Prayuth is betting the return of millions of tourists and billions of dollars in stimulus programmes will boost Southeast Asia’s second largest economy and his election prospects. However, he has to grapple with voter discontent arising from living costs remaining elevated even though inflation weakened to a 13-month low last month.

“This election will be a battle of ideology that will determine whether Thailand will stay on the side of conservatism or sway more to the liberal side,” said Yuttaporn Issarachai, a political scientist at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University. “But the military is so deeply rooted in Thai politics that it would take a super landslide for the opposition to bring about military reform, which is unlikely to happen.”

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Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha suspended from official duties pending term-limit review