Bangkok: The Thai military junta on Monday signalled that the long postponed general elections will be delayed yet again, the fifth delay in less than five years.
The development comes after hundreds of people took to the streets on Sunday, in one of the biggest pro-democracy protests in Thailand in over four years, to criticise the military government for appearing to renege on assurances the election would finally happen on February 24, reports the Guardian.
It is the fifth time that the military junta, known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) which took over in a bloodless coup in 2014, has delayed elections and prevented the country’s return to democracy.
The army’s commander in chief, General Apirat Kongsompong, publicly condemned the protesters, saying they were “bent on causing trouble”.
The election commission has not yet formally announced the postponement.
Thailand’s last official election was in 2011 and occurred following months of pro-democracy protests by activists known as the “red shirts”. (IANS)
