Most people would prefer House be dissolved within this month: NIDA poll

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

MOST PEOPLE RESPONDING TO a latest opinion poll say they would prefer the House of Representatives be dissolved by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at any time within this month.

According to the poll recently conducted by National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) among a total of 1,310 people of varied ages and in varied walks of life in all regions of the country, 43.13% of all respondents says they would prefer the elected legislative branch be dissolved at any time within this month, thus resulting in a general election for MPs to be held in 60 days.

That compared to 33.82% of the respondents who says they would prefer the four-year term of the House be fully consumed by March 24 to see the nationwide election subsequently held in 45 days.

Meanwhile, the NIDA poll has found 12.37% of the respondents saying they would prefer the House be dissolved at any time next month, compared to 3.74% who says it should be dissolved at any time in February and 2.82% who says it should not be dissolved until a few days before it may otherwise complete its scheduled term in late March.

The NIDA poll has been apparently conducted in the face of the repeated lack of a House quorum on a weekly basis after dozens of elected lawmakers have already quit, thus immediately losing their MP status, with intent to hop over from one party to another and seek reelection under the tickets of their new camps whilst many others are largely expected to follow suit at a later date.

Prayut has earlier told members of his cabinet that he would rather live out the House’s four-year term since he had already planned to prolong his rule for two more years after the general election as provided by law.

In case that Prayut will finally opt against dissolving the House, the MPs are legally obliged to get themselves attached to a chosen party under whose banners they will contest the general election by early February to ascertain themselves that their partisan membership will have lasted a minimum of 90 days ahead of the election date which has been earlier speculated by the Election Commission to be in May.

The premier will be legally obliged to hold the general election in 45 days if he finally lives out the House’s four-year term.

That compared to the probability of the general election being held in 60 days if he dissolves the House at any time from now to preclude the end of its term scheduled for March 24, thus automatically allowing the MPs to have been attached to a party of their choice for a minimum of 30 days ahead of the election date.

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