Thai Deputy PM: 2017 general election on track

Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister PrawitWongsuwan said on January 4 that a general election will be held this year after doubts were raised by a member of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA).

Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan

Speaking to reporters in Bangkok, Prawit stated that the general election has its time frame and what the NLA said is their own.

Earlier, there werecontradictory opinions about the general election’s time. On January 2, SomjetBoonthanom from the NLA said that the election should be delayed until March or April 2018 to allow time to pass laws related to the organisation of the election.

Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Prime Minister’s Office, Major-General SansernKaewkamnerd, affirmed that the country’s general election will be held on schedule at the end of 2017.

According to regulations in a new Constitution approved in a referendum in last August, ten new acts have to be completed in eight months after the new Constitution is issued. Since these acts are accomplished, the new government is able to announce a general election in the next five months.

In last November, PrawitWongsuwan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, mentioned the possibility of delaying the general election if the event is harmful to the national interests.

VNA

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