Local Bkk, Pattaya polls this year, says Wissanu

>>Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Kreangam says the long-awaited Bangkok governor election and the Pattaya City mayor election will be held this year.

Commenting on the political calendar for 2022, Mr Wissanu said preparations will be made for the Bangkok governor election and the election of Pattaya City mayor.

“The Budget Bureau, the government and the opposition know this,’’ Mr Wissanu said, with the Bangkok govenor election having been on ice since the 2014 coup.

As long as the House of Representatives is not dissolved, the government has full power, though it will have to work harder this year to run the country before its four-year term expires in early 2023, he said.

In light of this, the government wants to complete the work that remains unfinished, Mr Wissanu said, adding that this year will mark the fifth anniversary of the implementation of the 20-year national strategy.

An assessment will be made this year about how it is going.

When quizzed over a budget allocation of 5.6 billion baht for the next general election, Mr Wissanu said that the Election Commission had not mentioned which fiscal year the money will be drawn from.

It would depend on when the election is held.

He said the government will have to push for the passage of the fiscal 2023 budget bill before preparing for the general election.

The 2023 fiscal year starts on Oct 1 of this year and ends on Sept 30 of next year.