Thailand set to hold general elections on March 24

Thailand's Election Commission has set March 24 as the date for the country's first general elections since the 2014 military coup that overthrew the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

According to Press TV, the Commission announced the decision on Wednesday after having postponed the event several times.

"The Election Commission agreed to set the election date for March 24," Election Commission Chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong told reporters during a press briefing in the capital Bangkok.

He added that the new date "is appropriate based on different factors, including early ballots and candidate registration."

Political parties will submit lists of parliamentary candidates and up to three candidates for prime minister to the commission within the time span of February 4-8, he stated.

Wednesday's announcement came hours after King Maha Vajiralongkorn issued a royal decree authorizing the vote.

The military government has pushed back the elections several times for various reasons after the 2014 coup, citing the need for peace and order after months of street protests. The military government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha has called for an "environment of orderliness, civility and unity." 

Supporters of the Shinawatra clan say they are the first political dynasty to address the aspirations of Thailand's poor in a kingdom where wealth is hoarded by the Bangkok business elite.

Thailand last held a successful election in 2011.

The country has been plagued by more than a decade of political chaos since 2006, when Yingluck's older brother, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was toppled by the military after months of protests.

Thaksin, a populist who pushed policies favoring Thailand's rural poor and middle classes, triggered deep political polarization in the kingdom. The policies helped Thaksin and his supporters win several elections, while his "Red Shirt" movement also challenged Bangkok's elite establishment.

ME