Thai junta chief vows to hold elections in November 2018

TOKYO GOVERNOR YURIKO KOIKE,

in jibe aimed at PM Abe BANGKOK: The junta will hold elections in November next year, more than four years after it seized power and imposed a blanket ban on politics, it was announced yesterday.

The announcement came from junta chief Prayuth Chan O Cha, who had promised immediately after his May 2014 coup to return power to civilians in 18 months.

That date has repeatedly slipped, and even after the vote, critics said there would be limits on democracy under a new military-scripted charter.

“In November 2018, there will be an election. Is it clear?” the often gruff leader said, adding that he would announce the exact date in June.

He said he would “consider relaxing conditions on political parties at the appropriate time.”

All politics and protests have been banned under Prayuth’s regime, the most autocratic Thailand has seen for a generation.

The election will not restore the same level of democracy that existed before the latest military takeover in Thailand, a country that has seen more than a dozen coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932.

After seizing power, generals drafted a new charter that curbs the power of elected politicians and calls for a fully appointed Senate or upper house, with spots reserved for military leaders.

It also strengthens the Constitutional Court, a frequent thorn in the side of elected governments, making it easier to impeach a civilian leader.

The junta further enshrined its governmental role by declaring that future administrations must adhere to its “legally binding 20year-plan” for the country. AFP