BANGKOK: In a dramatic turn of events, Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul received royal approval Friday to dissolve Parliament, clearing the way for general elections early next year.
The upcoming vote for the House of Representatives is expected within 45 to 60 days, during which Anutin will lead a caretaker government with limited powers, unable to approve a new budget. On Thursday night, he reached out directly to the public via Facebook, saying he hoped to “return power to the people,” signalling a desire to let citizens decide the country’s next direction.
The political manoeuvre comes at a tense moment for Thailand. The country is embroiled in violent clashes with Cambodia over long-disputed border areas, leaving about two dozen people dead this week and hundreds of thousands displaced on both sides.
Anutin, who has only been in office for three months, took over from Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who served just a year. He won the September parliamentary vote with support from the main opposition, the progressive People’s Party, promising to dissolve Parliament within four months and hold a referendum on drafting a new constitution through an elected constituent assembly.
Constitutional reform appears to be at the heart of the latest political shake-up. The People’s Party threatened a non-confidence vote after Anutin’s Bhumjathai party voted to retain one-third of Senate seats in the proposed constitutional amendment, prompting him to step back and call fresh elections.
Anutin’s rise to the premiership is entwined with recent scandals. He had served in Paetongtarn’s Cabinet but resigned and withdrew his party from her coalition amid controversy linked to the border conflict with Cambodia. Paetongtarn, daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was removed from office after ethics violations surfaced over a politically sensitive phone call with Cambodia’s Senate President Hun Sen prior to July’s clashes.
The People’s Party has said it will remain in opposition, meaning Anutin’s next government could be a minority one. The party, long advocating progressive reforms, has consistently pushed to amend Thailand’s military-era constitution, aiming to make the political system more democratic and responsive to ordinary citizens.
As Thailand formulates a new round of elections, Anutin’s pledge to give power back to the people is being meticulously observed, with many doubting and speculating whether his custodian headship can steer the political turmoil at home and direct the continuing border struggle overseas.
