Thailand dissolved its parliament on Monday to clear the way for elections in May, according to an announcement on the Royal Gazette website.
Issuing the royal gazette, King Maha Vajiralongkorn has approved the official gazette to dissolve parliament before the election. No date has been announced for the election, but two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters news agency on Monday that voting would take place on May 14.
The announcement said that King Maha Vajiralongkorn had issued a decree to dissolve parliament ahead of elections, which are scheduled to take place 45 to 60 days after the dissolution.
This is the second election since a 2014 coup and the first since massive youth-led pro-democracy protests in Bangkok in 2020.
The election is expected to take place on May 7th or 14th. The May general election will elect the parliamentarians who, along with the Senate, will elect a prime minister in late July and appoint a cabinet in early August, according to a timetable provided by the government.
Analysts say the election will typically be between the party of the billionaire Shinawatra family and its business allies, as well as old conservative groups controlled by the royalist military. Since 2001, parties controlled by the Shinawatra family have won consecutive elections.
According to the media, Prayuth will take charge as the head of the caretaker government until the election. At a press conference after the dissolution of Parliament, 68-year-old Prayuth said, ‘I am happy that I have been able to do something good for the country. Revenue came for the country, industry was established. There has been a lot of investment.
He told reporters that you have to ask the people whether they are satisfied or not. I’ve done a lot over the years.
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