Thailand dissolves Parliament and calls for new elections

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha dissolves Parliament and calls elections in May.

It will be the second election since Chan or Cha seized power in a military coup in 2014 and was previously scheduled for the first half of 2023.

At first he led a military council, and then a kind of transitional government. While the constitution and laws were rewritten to give Chan or Cha more power, he was elected prime minister. He was elected by a parliamentary council, consisting mostly of unelected military men.

He sides with the newly formed party

Last year, Prayut Chan O Cha announced that he would run for a newly formed party instead of the ruling Palang Pracharat Party.

The prime minister can only hold office for eight years. This summer, Thailand’s Supreme Court ruled that his time in office should be counted from a constitutional amendment implemented in 2017 and not from his assumption of power in 2014.

In the event of victory, Chan-O-Cha may only remain until 2025 under current rules.

No specific date has yet been announced for the elections, but Thailand’s deputy prime minister said earlier that they are likely to be held on May 14, assuming parliament is dissolved on Monday.