Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (Photo: AP/VNA) Bangkok (VNA)- Thailand's Election Commission (EC) ruled on March 20 that Prime MinisterPrayut Chan-o-cha's candidacy for the post of prime minister in the upcoming electionis constitutional and legal.
In a statement, the EC announced that it has reached theunanimous resolution which states that the nomination of Prayut as a PM candidateby Palang Pracharath Party is in line with the 2017 constitution and itsorganic law on the election of MPs.
The EC decision was made in response to a petition earlierlodged by a lawyer who had questioned the legitimacy of Prayut's candidacy.
Thailand plans to hold the general election on March 24, thefirst of its kind in the country since the military coup in 2014.
Atotal of 68 candidates have been verified by the polling agency to run for thepost of prime minister. The election also attracts the Pheu Thai Party offormer PM Thaksin Shinawatra and the Democrat Party of former PM AbhisitVejjajiva.
There are some 51.4 million eligible voters, with about 7.3 million of whom beingfirst-time voters. The EC has anticipated that no less than 80 percent ofvoters will cast their ballots on March 24.-VNA
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