BANGKOK, Dec 12 — Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced on Thursday that he is “returning power to the people” after moving to dissolve parliament, paving the way for an earlier-than-expected general election.
BANGKOK, Dec 12 — Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced on Thursday that he is “returning power to the people” after moving to dissolve parliament, paving the way for an earlier-than-expected general election.
Government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat told Reuters the decision followed a standoff with the opposition People’s Party, the largest bloc in parliament.
“This happened because we can’t move forward in parliament,” he said.
Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn later endorsed the dissolution decree, according to the Royal Gazette on Friday. Under Thai law, a general election must now be held within 45 to 60 days.
The political upheaval comes as Thailand enters a fourth day of intense border clashes with Cambodia, which have left at least 20 people dead and nearly 200 injured.
Anutin said dissolving parliament would not affect military operations along the border, where fighting has erupted at more than a dozen locations, including exchanges of heavy artillery.
“I am returning power to the people,” Anutin wrote on social media late Thursday.
Anutin is Thailand’s third prime minister since August 2023, with ongoing political instability weighing on Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, already strained by US tariffs, high household debt and weak domestic consumption.
Election timeline brought forward
In September, Anutin said parliament would be dissolved by the end of January, with elections planned for March or early April. The latest move accelerates that timetable.
He assumed office after withdrawing his Bhumjaithai Party from the ruling coalition and securing support from the People’s Party, which set several conditions for its backing, including a referendum on constitutional amendments.
Siripong said tensions escalated after those demands were not met.
“When the People’s Party could not get what they wanted, they said they would submit a no-confidence motion and asked the prime minister to dissolve parliament immediately,” he said.
People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut told reporters late Thursday that Bhumjaithai had failed to honour the agreement between the two parties.
“We have tried to use the voice of the opposition to push forward constitutional amendments,” he said. — Reuters
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