Thai junta to lift ban on political activity, paving way for election


FE Team | Published: December 19, 2017 15:49:31 | Updated: December 19, 2017 16:36:51


Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha arrives to attend a weekly cabinet meeting at Government House in Bangkok, Thailand June 13, 2017. - Reuters file photo

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Tuesday he would use a special order that gives the military sweeping powers to lift a ban on political activity that has been in place since a 2014 coup, paving the way for a 2018 general election.

Major political parties had been urging the government for months to lift the ban to allow parties to prepare for the vote, according to a Reuters report.

Prayuth, who is also head of the junta, has said that Thailand will hold an election in November 2018 - news that was largely welcomed by investors in Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy.

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