After more than four years of military rule, Thailand may have a general election on Feb. 24, 2019. The government will "unlock some issues" and start talks with political parties next month, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha said after a Cabinet meeting (Aug 21).
"If we can do it, we will do it in February," Prayuth said as quoted by Bloomberg, adding the vote should take place on Feb. 24. "If we can’t do it, we will discuss that later."
The tentative dates were set as per the government’s roadmap, and after discussions were held with political parties and concerned agencies in June this year.
Former army chief Prayuth seized power in Thailand in May 2014 after a prolonged period of sometimes bloody unrest, pledging to restore stability and revamp the country’s political system. The military administration has repeatedly pushed back the timeline for the return of elections and continues to ban the political activity, although some new parties have been allowed to form.
Standard Chartered Bank expects further progress toward general elections will likely trigger greater capital inflows to Thailand. A report Monday showed the economy expanded 4.6 percent in the second quarter, exceeding the expectations of many analysts.
But there may be longer-term risks after the poll. Prayuth will likely return as prime minister, but the falling popularity of the junta means social stability could deteriorate, BMI Research wrote in July.
In the years before the most recent army takeover, fissures in Thai society triggered violent clashes between urban royalists and rural backers of exiled former leader Thaksin Shinawatra. Allies of Thaksin have won every election dating back to 2001, only to be unseated by the courts or military.
Source: Bloomberg.com, The Jakarta Post