Let’s talk about it next year, PM says about timing for general election
Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha spoke on Tuesday about the timing for the next general election, saying he would see when it was appropriate to hold it, but stressing that it would definitely be after the ceremony for King Rama IX’s cremation and King Rama X’s ceremonial accession to the throne.
“So, next year, let’s talk about it, but you should in the meantime prepare for it. Everything is on the roadmap,” said the premier. “When the time comes, how can I stop it?”
Prayut also mentioned the election for Bangkok’s next governor, but said he had not yet confirmed whether this would take place before or after the general election.
Meanwhile, his deputy General Prawit Wongsuwan reiterated that the military never wanted to get involved in politics, and that they would end their roles once the national election had taken place.
However, he stressed he could not give any assurance that a coup would not take place again, as nobody knew what would happen in the future.
The deputy PM made the remarks in response to growing calls for the military to be reformed, in line with other sectors.