A majority of people oppose a planned protest by pro-election activists on May 22 to call for the government to hold a general election in 2018, saying that they should resort to peaceful means, according to the result of an opinion survey carried out by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University or Suan Dusit Poll.
The poll was conducted on May 8-12 on 1,163 people thoughout the country.
Asked whether they think it would be possible for an election to be held in 2018, 37.66% said "no", reasoning that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has clearly announced the election would be held next year; 33.71% said they were uncertain; and, 28.63% said "yes", reasoning that the government has been pressured by people who want the election to be held soon as the prime minister himself had once said an election would be held this year.
On the right of the pro-election group to stage the protest, a large majority, 70.85%, of the respondents were of the opinion that they have the right to do so as allowed in a democracy; 22.27% were uncertain about this; and 6.88% said they cannot do this as political gatherings are still banned by the National Council for Peace and Order.
However, when asked if they agree with the planned protest, 52.01% said "no", saying that the pro-election activists should resort to peaceful means as it could damage the country's image, while 47.99% agree, reasoning that they want to see an election as soon as possible.
Asked what they want to tell Gen Prayut about this matter, 44.35% said they want the prime minister to be open to public opinions; 34.35% said he should clearly declare an election timeframe; and, 27.39% want him to speed up solving problems by adhering the principle of justice and righteousness.
