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Thailand to hold fresh election on 20 July
BBC News - April 30, 2014
The new polls will be conducted on 20 July, in an agreement reached between the Election Commission (EC) and the prime minister, officials said. PM Yingluck Shinawatra called the snap election in February amid major anti-government protests in Bangkok.
Her ruling party was expected to win, but the opposition boycotted the polls. The protesters disrupted voting, meaning the election was not completed. The court said the vote was unconstitutional because it did not take place on the same day across the country.
Political paralysis
"We agreed that the most suitable election day is 20 July and the EC will draft the royal decree for the prime minister to submit to the king for royal endorsement," Election Commission secretary Puchong Nutrawong said.
It is not clear yet whether the anti-government movement will attempt to sabotage this election or whether the main opposition Democrat Party will take part.
Thailand's political system has been paralysed since anti-government protests began in Bangkok in November 2013. At the height of the demonstrations, protesters shut down key road junctions and blockaded government ministries. Numbers have fallen since, however.
The protesters, who are mainly urban and middle class, want Ms Yingluck's government replaced by an unelected "people's council". They allege that her brother, ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra, controls her administration and say money politics have corrupted Thailand's democracy.
Ms Yingluck and Pheu Thai remain very popular in rural areas, however, leaving Thailand deeply polarised.
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27216911.
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