Thai army chief urged to speed up general election

BANGKOK, May 21 (TNA) - Surapong Tovichakchaikul, who insists on his position as caretaker deputy prime minister supervising foreign affairs, has called on Thai Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha to speed up the next general election. Sending his message to General Prayuth, who is now also Director of the martial law-exercising Peace and Order Maintaining Command (POMC), Surapong said on Wednesday that General Prayuth should speed up the next national poll. Surapong also urged that the Royal Thai Army join forces with the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) to prevent obstructions to the next general election, like those happening to the previous national poll on February 2, 2014. Surapong praised General Prayuth for trying to mediate political problems, opining that as long as General Prayuth maintained his neutrality, there would not be violence. Surapong also affirmed that caretaker Cabinet ministers and people of the Shinawatra family did not flee the country because they did nothing wrong. There have been no political demonstrations in Bangkok and other provinces so far, after the nationwide imposition of martial law on May 20, as of 3am. (TNA)