Thai military gov’t insists election to be held in 2017

By Arun Saronchai

BANGKOK

Thailand's military government maintained Wednesday that it would stick to its plan to carry out a general election by the end of this year, just days after a lawmaker indicated there could be a delay.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told reporters that election plans were fixed and would not be moved.

"We have a plan and we are going to stick to it. Elections will be carried out at the end of the year as planned," he said.

The remarks came after Somjet Boonthanom, a member of the country’s military-appointed National Legislative Assembly (NLA), said Monday that polls might be held in “March or April of 2018”, blaming the latest delay on the need for another 15 months to write necessary legislation.

Although the junta has regularly expressed commitment to a “roadmap” for restoring democracy, the date has been pushed back every year since its May 2014 coup.

On Wednesday, Wongsuwan dismissed suggestions that the vote could be pushed to 2018 to allow the drafting of election laws.

"What the NLA says is their problem," he said.

The government of junta chief-cum-prime minister Gen. Prayuth Chan- overthrew the democratically elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra in 2014.