Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha played first cool but now cute with his four-year-old promise of holding general elections. Since 2015, the prime minister has promised numerous times that a parliamentary election would occur "next year". Most recently, on the anniversary of his coup, he waffled again, stating there will be an election "no earlier than" early next year.
The prime minister has arguably reached the end of public patience. The nation is both anxious and prepared for the proper resumption of normal political life. This requires that Gen Prayut stop teasing and delaying. He now owes the country two forthright and honest deadlines -- not generalities or smoke-and-mirrors, but exact dates especially when the organic laws on elections are in place.
In the first place, he owes the public an actual election date. Just two months ago, he promised an election next February, which would mean -- assuming a traditional Sunday vote -- four possible dates, from Feb 4 to Feb 24. Last Tuesday, he invited even more cynicism about this than usual, backing away from that quite recent February promise. His current position is that an election will be held "according to my schedule ... in early 2019".
