Thailand to hold elections in 2017: military chief

Thailand will hold a general election in 2017, the country’s chief of the military governmnet said on Tuesday, his first comments since voters backed a new military-crafted constitution in a referendum.

Sunday’s vote in support of the charter was the first test of public opinion since the 2014 coup. Campaigning and open debate were curbed in the run-up to the poll, however.

Thailand’s last general election was in 2011.

“The election will be held late 2017 as planned,” Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who as army chief seized power two years ago, told reporters.

Since the vote, the European Union and the United States – both key allies – have called on Prayut to hold elections swiftly and lift restrictions on civil liberties imposed since his takeover.

Previous election dates promised by Prayut have slipped.

Majority back new charter

The military says the new constitution will purge Thailand of corrupt civilian politicians and restore stability after nearly a decade of political turmoil including two coups.

But critics say the charter will boost military power and limit the sway of elected officials.

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Under the new charter, the upper house will be entirely appointed, including six seats reserved for the military. A proportional voting system will probably reduce the influence of major parties.

The senate will also have a voice in picking a non-elected prime minister if the lower house is deadlocked, while it will be easier to impeach a civilian leader.

Unofficial results released by the Election Commission on Sunday showed 61 percent of the country backed the document, with 39 percent voting “no”.

But turnout, currently estimated at 55 percent, was subdued. Full official figures will be released on Wednesday.

Prayut’s promises

Thailand has been bitterly divided ever since a 2006 coup that toppled Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister.

Years of competing protests and instability followed. In 2014, the army seized power once more, toppling Thaksin’s sister Yingluck.

The country’s populous and poor north and northeast, a Shinawatra stronghold, was one of the few regions to vote against the charter.

READ MORE: Thailand referendum – New constitution wins approval

Addressing those voters, Prayut said: “I can see you suffering. I will take care of you. But I have to take care of other regions too.”

The Shinawatra clan has won all general elections since 2001, harvesting votes by promising greater wealth and opportunity to the rural poor.

But the family is loathed by an arch-royalist Bangkok elite which is backed by the military, and by southern voters who accuse the Shinawatras of corruption and populism.

It is not yet known whether Thailand’s generals will lift curbs on political gathering before the 2017 elections.