Summary The junta-written electoral rules ensure the military will continue to have a say in the next govt.
Web Desk (Reuters) - Thailand s army chief Apirat Kongsompong casted his vote on Sunday (March 24) in the country s first general election since 2014 military coup.
Thai voters went to the polls on Sunday in a long-delayed election following a 2014 coup, a race that pits a military junta chief seeking to retain power against a "democratic front" led by the populist party he ousted.
The junta-written electoral rules ensure the military will continue to have a say in the next government, even if Prayuth does not stay on as prime minister.
Pro-Thaksin parties are expected to win the largest number of seats in the House of Representatives. However, the new system appears designed to prevent it from forming a government because it includes the junta-appointed 250-seat Senate in the vote for prime minister.
The provision means Prayuth s Palang Pracharat Party and allies have to win only 126 seats in the House, while Pheu Thai and its potential "democratic front" partners would need 376.
