BANGKOK, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's electoral campaigns will be allowed to start after the New Year holiday, confirmed Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam on Friday.
In a meeting between authorities and political parties on the general election, scheduled for February 24, the deputy prime minister announced that a royal decree for the race to parliament will be issued on Jan. 2 upon which all contestant parties may launch electoral campaigns nationwide.
The now ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO)'s prohibition to any vote-wooing activity is yet to be lifted later this month, Wissanu said but declined to forecast exactly on what date such political restrictions will be entirely waived up.
The Election Commission is scheduled to open application for those contesting for MP seats during January 14 and January 18, followed by the naming of candidates for prime minister by each political party on Jan. 25.
The polling agency's announcement of the names of those elected MPs in both individual and party-list modes will not be later than April 25 while the NCPO is scheduled to submit the names of 250 senators, handpicked by the ruling council, to the monarch for royal appointment by no later than April 28, according to Wissanu.
Palang Pracharath (power of people of state) Party, headed by Industry Minister Uttama Savanayana as party leader and joined by three other current cabinet members, has reportedly planned to name Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha as the party's top candidate for post-election premier.
