BANGKOK, DEC 7 (TNA) – Thailand’s military junta holds a
dialogue on the upcoming elections but major political parties opt out of the
gathering saying the junta leader, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has lost
his legitimacy to oversee the vote.
At least two major parties — the Democrats and Pheu Thai —
did not attend the pre-election dialogue with the National Council for Peace
and Order (NCPO) at the Army Club on Friday.
The two parties and some others who also boycott the meeting
say Prayut should not oversee the election because he has become a candidate
for prime minister of pro-Prayut party, Palang Pracharat.
Others claim that Prayut has sought political advantages for
the polling and blocked political parties to voice opinions or hold activities.
Prime Minister Prayut had denounced the move saying these
parties refuse to follow the rules.
However, after the Friday’s meeting, Prayut said he was
satisfied with the meeting attended by representatives of some 70 parties. “It
went well, everyone cooperated,” Prayut said briefly as he was leaving the
venue.
During the meeting, the NCPO, the Election Commission and
other political bodies discussed the political timeline including lifting of
the political ban, imposed since the 2014 coup, ahead of the general election
tentatively scheduled for February 24.
The meeting came as the organic law of members of parliament
takes effect next week, paving the way for lifting the ban and allowing parties
to carry out election campaign.(TNA)
