Bangkok may delay call for election

Bangkok may delay call for election

THAILAND could put off announcing its first election since last year's deadly protests by several days to allow the authorities to approve constitutional laws, its Deputy Prime Minister said yesterday.

Mr Suthep Thaugsuban said that the timetable for dissolving the Lower House of Parliament ahead of an anticipated late-June or early-July poll could be altered because three election laws have yet to be finalised.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was widely expected to call the election tomorrow, but his deputy said that the dissolution may be put on hold until after the constitutional court considers the laws next Monday. "The goal is still unchanged. I think that if the date is changed by one or two days, it will make no difference," he told reporters.

Mr Suthep admitted that he was not certain of the precise date of dissolution. "One minister asked the Prime Minister last night at the Cabinet meeting when he will dissolve the House and (was told to watch out for) the announcement on the radio," he said.

The laws have already been adopted by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Thailand's election is expected to be close-fought and comes at a time of heightened political sensitivity for the country, which remains deeply divided a year after opposition rallies by the Red Shirt movement.

The protests sparked the worst political violence in decades, leaving more than 90 people dead in clashes between demonstrators and armed troops in Bangkok. Thailand is also embroiled in a tense border dispute with its neighbour, Cambodia. The conflict, which appears to be calming, has killed 18 people and caused thousands to flee their homes for several days.

--AFP