Thai PM to lift restrictions for general election

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha speaks to reporters after a meeting of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) at the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, Aug. 28, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Tuesday that he will exercise his executive power under Section 44 of the interim constitution to lift some of the political restrictions.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), Prayut, who concurrently acts as head of the ruling military council, confirmed that he will apply Section 44 "shortly" in order to "unlock" some of the restrictions, imposed by the NCPO, for all parties to resume political activity between September and December.

Prayut did not mention how soon he will exercise such executive power to allow the political parties to do varied activities, except for canvassing for votes in the kingdom.

The premier assured that he will lift some of the political restrictions which ban parties from doing such things as recruiting members, amending a party's rules, organizing primary votes, holding caucuses and naming members of a party's executive board.

Nevertheless, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said earlier that the NCPO orders which prohibit canvassing for votes among constituents or running of any party's electoral campaigns will still be enforced, regardless of the imminent waiver of some restrictions.

The premier assured that "the earliest" date for the general election has been tentatively scheduled for Feb. 24, 2019.

According to Wissanu, electoral campaigns will only be allowed after a royal decree for the general election has been issued and proclaimed.