Voters in Thailand head to the polls Sunday in national elections seen as a pivotal test of the military’s hold on power and the chance for political change in a country where victory at the ballot box is often thwarted by coups and court rulings.
Tens of thousands of polling stations opened at 9:00 a.m. local time.
About 52 million eligible voters are choosing among progressive and conservative parties, with the military seeking to preserve its hold on power after nearly a decade of a government led or backed by the army.
Incumbent Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who first came to power in a 2014 coup, is seeking another term in office.
He is backed by the conservative, military-backed United Thai Nation Party. Also running is his deputy prime minister, Prawit Wongsuwan, representing the pro-establishment Palang Pracharath party.
Prayuth has been blamed for a stagnating economy, mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic and thwarting democratic reforms.
Opinion polls indicate the opposition party Pheu Thai, led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and the Move Forward party, led by Pita Limjaroenrat, are expected to win the most seats in the 500-member House of Representatives, the lower house of the National Assembly.
There is no guarantee either will govern because of parliamentary rules established by the military after its 2014 coup.
The prime minister will be chosen during a joint session of the House and the 250-member Senate, whose members were appointed by the junta.
The winner must garner a simple majority of at least 376 votes, no party is expected to win outright on its own.
Sunday’s vote is the first since youth-led, pro-democracy demonstrations broke out in 2020. Any disputed election results could lead to a fresh round of political instability.
Thailand has seen numerous coups and has been wracked by a series of street protests and court orders dissolving political parties. – gb