Tag: Yingluck cabinet

The toppled Thai opposition on Thursday called on the ruling junta to lift the ban on political activities as the countdown begins for the kingdom's first election since a 2014 coup. King Maha Vajiralongkorn endorsed two bills on Wednesday that clear the bureaucratic hurdles to a poll, which has been promised and delayed for years by the junta. An election is required to take place by May. Junta critics want to hold political gatherings, which have been banned since a coup four years ago toppled the Puea Thai government led by Yingluck Shinawatra, Thailand's first female premier. "As the country heads to an election, we need to create a good atmosphere so that people can express their opinions." Pichai said that date is now increasingly likely. He cautioned the National Council for Peace Order (NCPO) -- the political name of the junta government -- against postponing it again. With the ban on politics still in place, junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha has spent months positioning himself for a potential run at the next election. For months he has criss-crossed the country promising economic development, wooing local politicians with promised investment and showing his softer side to the electorate with endless photo opportunities. On Thursday he hosted Japanese girl pop sensation "AKB48" at Government House, waving a pink day-glo stick to one of their smash hits and posing for photos.