<div> <div>Political parties, despite their divergent ideologies, are united in urging the junta to lift its ban on political activity now that the Organic Act on Political Parties is in effect. </div></div>

<p>On May 22, 2014 the Thai military, led by General Prayuth Chan-ocha, staged a coup d’état to end several months of political and civil chaos in Thailand. At its very basic level, the chaos was caused by an on-going conflict between the so-called ‘red-shirts’, followers of the government of Yingluck Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai party and comprising the rural voters forming a majority of the electorate, and the ‘yellow-shirts’, an alliance between the military, the Thai elite, and the middle-class Democrat party of Abhisit Vejjajiva with a strong following in Bangkok.</p>

<p>A former MP from the Democrat Party has questioned the junta over the disproportionate number of military appointments to the boards of state enterprises.</p> <p>On 10 July 2017, Rachada Dhnadirek, former MP of the Democrat Party,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thairath.co.th/content/1000320">publicly pondered&nbsp;</a>how serious Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the junta leader and Prime Minister, is about corporate governance.</p> <p>Rachada pointed out that military officers have been appointed to the boards of almost every state enterprise.</p>

<div> <div>While the junta seeks reasons to remain in power, the public, politicians and even the anti-election protesters from 2014 are increasing their demands for elections.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The National Council for Peace and Order is once again attempting to delay the country’s democratisation. Late last month, Prayut posed a four-question survey through his weekly televised address. </div></div>

<p>A poll conducted by Bangkok University shows that more than half of respondents still support Thailand’s junta leader as Prime Minister.</p> <p>On 22 January 2017, the research centre of Bangkok University published the results of a&nbsp;<a href="http://bangkokpoll.bu.ac.th/poll/result/poll813_2.php?pollID=699">poll</a>&nbsp;about political parties and Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the current junta leader and Prime Minister.</p> <p>The poll was conducted using random sampling methods via mobile phones to reach 1,216 people from across the nation.</p>

<p>In an interview with Prachatai following the constitutional referendum, Nidhi Eoseewong maintained that the results were due to the lack of free and open debate and criticism. Many people consequently made what seemed the easy choice giving the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) a sort of split legitimacy: While Thais may accept the results, it will be difficult to claim legitimacy with the international community where the process has been seen as unjust from the start. Despite the referendum result, he holds out hope for democracy future.</p> <p></p>

<div>A Democrat deputy leader has criticized the Referendum Act for its heavy sentences and ambiguous content which can lead to arbitrary prosecution of those who oppose the referendum and the charter draft.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Sunday, 24 April 2016, the Thai News Agency <a href="http://www.tnamcot.com/content/453580">reported</a> that Ongart Klampaiboon, deputy leader of the Democrat Party, urged the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) to clarify ambiguous content in the Referendum Act, enacted on 22 April 2016.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>According to the Thai News Agency, O </div>

<div>Not only Pheu Thai’s red bowls, but medical kits from the Democrats are also a threat to national security.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Monday, 11 April 2016, the state authorities confiscated 1,271 medical kits from a Democrat Party politician’s house in the central province of Kamphaeng Phet, saying that it is a symbolic political act which could threaten national security, <a href="http://manager.co.th/Local/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9590000037148">reported</a> ASTV Manager Online. </div>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">30 April will be the fourth anniversary of the deprivation of freedom of the red-shirt political magazine editor, sentenced to 10 years in jail for articles he did not write. His wife has been very supportive and became active campaigner against Article 112</span></p> <p></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">30 April will be the fourth anniversary of the deprivation of freedom of the red-shirt political magazine editor, sentenced to 10 years in jail for articles he did not write. His wife has been very supportive and became active campaigner against Article 112</span></p> <p></p>

<div> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-b3e97379-7ab4-2bb0-f753-e2061c933b44">The pro-establishment Democrat Party submitted lèse majesté and defamation complaints against a redshirt wearing black around the King’s birthday and pressed the authorities to take action against a Pheu Thai politician’s son accused of lèse majesté.</span></p> </div>