Irish Examiner view: People power

Thai elections

Leader of Move Forward Party Pita Limjaroenrat shakes hand with a supporter as he leaves from Move Forward Party headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand. Picture: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

The apparent rejection of military rule by the Thai electorate at the weekend potentially marks a new era, but nothing is a given in this traditionally conservative country.

Following voter turnout of 39m people, or 75% of registered voters, the results indicate that the people of Thailand overwhelmingly sought an end to years of military rule by casting ballots in favour of two opposition parties which have pledged to curtail the power of conservative institutions.

The progressive Move Forward party and the populist Pheu Thai party between them won 292 of the 500 seats in the House of Representatives and in most other parliamentary democracies around the world would be expected to form a coalition government and choose a prime minister.

However, under the current rules of the Thai system, the twin conservative forces in the country, the monarchy and the military, will ultimately decide the outcome.

Pheu Thai had been expected to do well in the election, but the emergence of Move Forward based on promises to upend dated power structures and decriminalise public criticism of the monarchy, saw it make huge gains in urban areas and in the capitol, Bangkok. 

The people have voted not just for political change but structural reform and it now remains to be seen if the military junta which has ruled Thailand since a 2006 coup, will accept the result.

Right now it is unclear who will actually assume power, but the will of the people has clearly been voiced.