Thai parliament dissolved for general elections

Thailand is scheduled for an early general election next year, as King Maha Vajiralongkorn has endorsed a Royal Decree dissolving the House of Representatives, the Royal Gazette announced on its website early on Friday.

Under the Constitution of Thailand, the Election Commission is expected to set a polling date no sooner than 45 days and no later than 60 days from the enforcement of the decree.

The announcement followed a proposal by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who called for the dissolution of the House to pave the way for a general election to choose new members of parliament and vowed to return power to the people.

"I have returned power to the people," said Anutin in a Facebook post on Thursday night. Anutin, the 58-year-old leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, was elected as Thailand's prime minister in September this year. The veteran had served as deputy prime minister in several administrations and held ministerial portfolios for interior and public health.

In the announcement, Anutin said that his government held only a minority of votes and faced stability issues amid significant political problems. He believes that dissolving the House would lead to a stable national administration to ensure continuous and effective governance, and that the current situation risks undermining political stability and international confidence.

In his submission to the king, Anutin said that his government, since September, had taken swift measures to address urgent national issues, including efforts to amend the constitution, economic revitalization policies, and initiatives to support communities affected by natural disasters.

However, he also noted that the country has been facing multiple challenges, including economic challenges, social and political pressures, and security tensions along the border with Cambodia. He said the current situation risks undermining political stability and international confidence.

"The current administration consists of a coalition of multiple parties that failed to command a majority in the House of Representatives," the decree said. "Therefore, the appropriate course of action is to dissolve the House of Representatives to return the decision-making power to the people as the ultimate sovereign."

At a recent news conference, experts from Thailand's Kasikorn Research Center projected that the country's economy is set to slow next year, with gross domestic product growth of only 1.6 percent, compared to 2.0 percent this year.

"Tourism is unlikely to see a full recovery, while household consumption — the key growth engine — is expected to soften due in part to reduced support from government spending and stimulus measures under fiscal constraints," said Nattaporn Triratanasirikul, deputy managing director of the center.

She said Thai exports are expected to decline, hindering a major economic driver. Political uncertainty, especially following the election, will also warrant close monitoring.

Border conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia escalated recently. As of Thursday, the latest round of border clashes has left nine Thai soldiers dead and more than 120 people injured. Cambodian official statistics show that at least 10 Cambodian civilians have been killed and 60 others wounded.

yangwanli@chinadaily.com.cn