In the first parliamentary election in Thailand since the army coup 2014, the reigning military government could score points. According to the state electoral commission, General Prayut has hundreds of thousands of votes in the lead.
For the first time in eight years, the Thai people were allowed to vote – and they have apparently opted for the reigning military junta. Government Electoral Commission figures showed in the evening (local time) that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is ahead with his camp. After counting 91 percent of the votes his party PPRP several hundred thousand votes ahead of the largest party of the opposition.
According to the interim report, the PPRP came to more than 7.3 million votes. Pheu Thai around former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whom the military had overthrown, was about 6.8 million. It was followed by the party Future Forward with more than five million. In total, more than 51 million people were eligible to vote in the Southeast Asian Kingdom.
Accurate figures, the Commission will submit only on Monday. Forecasts or own extrapolations of the television did not exist. It remained unclear whether General Prayut – who had come to power in 2014 with a coup against a democratically elected government – could become civilian head of state. The 65-year-old was the top candidate of the party Phalang Pracharat (PPRP). The Commission did not comment on the likely distribution of seats either.
It had been expected another result
The election involved a total of 500 seats in the House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament. In the upper house, the senate, the military had secured all 250 seats in advance. Without choice. A controversial referendum enforced new constitution and changes in suffrage made it possible. Since then, the army has, among other things, the right to appoint all members of the upper house.
Since the Senate and House of Representatives jointly elect the future PM, Prayut will hand 126 out of the 500 mandates for a sole majority. So the election does not mean that democracy in Thailand has been completely restored. The military clearly had the advantage over the other parties.
Originally, Pheu Thai was expected to emerge from the House of Representatives election as the strongest party. Voter surveys also indicated this. Since 2001, the Shinawatra camp had won all elections in Thailand.
