Thailand's influential military yesterday confirmed its support for holding nationwide elections on February 2, as a way to end the country's political deadlock.
“The armed forces will support the February 2 election,” said Army General Nipat Thonglek, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Defence.
The military's supreme commander, General Tanasak Patimapragorn, reportedly told a forum with anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban on Saturday that he wanted to see an election held on February 2, as scheduled.
Government sources welcomed the military's support of the polls.
“The armed forces leaders sort-of confirmed that they will not stage a coup,” said Chaturon Chaisaeng, Caretaker Education Minister.
There have been 18 military coups in Thailand since 1932, the last of which ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in 2006.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin's sister, dissolved parliament earlier this month and called a snap election in response to a mass protest Suthep had mobilized against her government.
But Suthep nevertheless called for an appointed People's Council to legislate political reforms prior to the next elections, as a means of “uprooting the Thaksin regime” from Thai politics.