- Thomas Mackintosh, Jonathan Head
- BBC reporter from London and Bangkok
Kadima Party leader Peeta Limja Lunla’s election platform is simple but powerful: “Thailand needs change.”
Thai voters have voted against keeping the military-backed government in power, amid a general election that suggests the two opposition parties will negotiate a coalition government.
Early vote counts showed Kadima and Pheu Thai far ahead of incumbent Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.
The current general election has been described as a turning point for Thailand, which has experienced military coups in recent years.
Prayuth, who led a military coup in 2014, is seeking to extend his term in power.
However, he faces strong challenges from the Kadima Party and Pheu Thai Party in the election-both opposition parties are parties opposed to the military government.
The Kadima Party is led by former tech executive Pita Limjaroenrat, and Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is a Pheu Thai candidate. .
As of Monday (May 15) morning, 98 percent of the votes had been counted, and a Reuters tally based on data from the Election Commission showed the Kadima Party would win the majority, with Pheu Thai in second place.
Peeta described the evening’s results as “sensational” and promised his party would remain up against the military-backed parties in forming a government.
Peeta told the media that his party would seek to negotiate with Pheu Thai, and a coalition “is definitely an option”.
Pheu Thai Party leader Bedondan Shinawatra congratulated the Kadima Party on its victory, saying “we can cooperate.”
“We are ready to talk to Kadima, but we are still waiting for the official results,” she said.
But despite the election victory, Kadima and Pheu Thai may still face a struggle to gain power.
The new prime minister will be chosen jointly by 500 elected lawmakers and 250 members of the Senate, who were appointed by the Prayut military government, posing in support of the military.
Senators have always voted for the ruling incumbent military government, never for the opposition.
image source,Getty Images
The daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, center, speaks to the media at the end of election day.
Counting began after polling stations closed at 17:00 local time (10:00GMT) on Sunday – following nine hours of voting at 95,000 stations.
Around 50 million people were expected to vote to elect the 500-member House of Commons – with around 2 million pre-voted.
The electoral commission is not expected to formally determine the final number of seats won by each party for several weeks.
But it marks a major shift in public opinion in Thailand, as all age groups seem willing to take a chance on relatively untested idealistic young politicians in power.
Prayuth, 69, seized power from Thaksin’s sister Yingluck in 2014 after months of political turmoil.
Thailand held a general election in 2019, when results showed no party had won a majority.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the army general who led the last coup in 2014, sought re-election
Weeks later, pro-military parties formed the government and named Prayuth as their candidate for prime minister, a process the opposition said at the time was unfair.
The following year, a controversial court decision dissolved the Future Forward party, the party that had prospered in that general election because of its enthusiastic support among young voters.
The ruling sparked six months of mass demonstrations calling for reforms to the military and the royal family.