At last, the electorate saw the full list of prime ministerial candidates Friday for the upcoming March 24 general election, with Princess Ubolratana emerging as an unprecedented option and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as the least surprising one. But it is a welcome sign that the princess on Friday expressed her intention to be part of the democratic process. Instead of taking a caretaker role like his predecessors in the lead-up to the poll, Gen Prayut has insisted on keeping the top job until a new government is formed. Since the election law forbids the use of state resources to gain advantage over other parties, Gen Prayut must end any activities that will favour him and the PPRP. With the unusual candidates, the election campaign will be extraordinarily fierce, competitive and more interesting.

Source: Bangkok Post February 08, 2019 23:23 UTC