Court defers ruling on date of Thai general election

A Thai court has deferred a ruling on whether to hold a general election scheduled for February 2nd, after Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra declared a 60-day state of emergency in the capital, Bangkok.

Ms Yingluck issued the emergency decree in Bangkok and surrounding areas from Wednesday last, after a series of bombings and shootings in the capital left one person dead and 70 injured. She is hoping to prevent an escalation in the three-month protests.

The opposition leader, Suthep Thaugsuban, has vowed to continue blockades of major city intersections that began on January 13th until the prime minister resigns. Thailand has been locked in a political conflict for eight years. The state of emergency failed to clear the demonstrators, but the city remained calm.

Mr Suthep has refused offers of talks. He wants the government replaced with an unelected council that would change the constitution to prevent Ms Yingluck’s brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is in self-imposed exile in Dubai after fleeing graft charges, returning to power.

“The constitutional court has accepted this case and we will look at the legal issues involved. If there is enough evidence, we may hand down a decision tomorrow,” said court spokesman Pimol Thampithakpong.

The election commission has said the country is too volatile to hold a general election and that because of election technicalities for voting, not enough parliamentarians will be elected.

However, Ms Yingluck, who has already dissolved parliament, says the decree to hold the election on that date has been signed by the king and cannot be changed.

All eyes are on the military, which has kept its distance so far, to see if it will intervene.