BANGKOK: Thailand is set to hold parliamentary elections on Feb 8, the election commission said in a statement on Monday (Dec 15), in an earlier-than-expected poll that comes after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dissolved parliament last week.
The move came after Anutin fell out with the opposition People’s Party, the largest grouping in parliament, plunging Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy into political turmoil amid a raging border conflict with neighbouring Cambodia.
Thais will vote to elect 500 lawmakers, with 400 constituency seats and 100 allocated on a party-list basis, and each party can submit up to three prime ministerial candidates.
Advance voting will take place on Feb 1.
Official poll results will be announced by Apr 9, the election commission said, after which the new parliament must convene within 15 days to elect speakers and then vote in a prime minister.
Source: CNA
