Thais yesterday voted in an election that could see pro-democracy opposition parties oust the conservative military-backed government of Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha after almost a decade in power.
Voters are tipped to deliver a resounding defeat to former army chief and coup leader Prayuth after a campaign that played out as a clash between a young generation yearning for change and the traditionalist, royalist establishment.
The main opposition Pheu Thai Party, fronted by the daughter of billionaire former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was ahead in final opinion polls.
Photo: AFP
Yet in a kingdom where victory at the ballot box has often been trumped by coups and court orders, there are fears the military could seek to cling on, raising the prospect of fresh instability.
After casting her ballot in Bangkok, Pheu Thai’s main candidate, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, showed no signs of doubt.
“Today is going to be a good day. I have very positive energy about it,” the 36-year-old told reporters, smiling broadly.
Voting began at 8am at 95,000 polling stations across the nation.
The Thai Election Commission projects turnout of more than 80 percent, with polls to close at 5pm and unofficial results expected at about 10pm, commission Chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong said.
A turnout of 90 percent in the early round of voting on May 7 points to an electorate looking for change, but the opposition faces an uphill battle to secure power, thanks to the junta-scripted 2017 constitution.
The new prime minister is to be chosen jointly by the 500 elected lawmakers and 250 senate members appointed by Prayuth’s junta — stacking the deck in the army’s favor.
In the controversial last election in 2019, Prayuth rode senate support to become prime minister at the head of a complex multi-party coalition.
The election is the first since major youth-led pro-democracy protests erupted across Bangkok in 2020 with demands to curb the power and spending of Thailand’s king. The demonstrations petered out as COVID-19 curbs were imposed and dozens of leaders were arrested, but their energy has fueled growing support for the more radical opposition Move Forward Party (MFP).
As he arrived to vote in Bangkok, MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat, 42, said he expected a “historic turnout.”
“Younger generations these days care about their rights and they will come out to vote,” he said.
While the MFP is looking for support from millennial and Gen Z voters — who make up nearly half the 52 million-strong electorate — Pheu Thai’s base is in the rural northeast where voters are still grateful for the welfare policies implemented by Thaksin in the early 2000s.
Prayuth also urged voters to turn out in large numbers as he cast his ballot on Sunday.
The former general has made an unashamedly nationalist pitch to older voters, painting himself as the only candidate capable of saving Thailand from chaos and ruin.
However, he has lagged badly in the polls, blamed for a sputtering economy and feeble recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, which battered the kingdom’s crucial tourism industry.
Voter Pakorn Adulpan, 85, said he was impressed by the quality of this year’s contest.
“I am very hopeful because there is strong competition between many talented candidates, compared to the elections in the past,” he said.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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