A Thai court today ruled that the February 2 snap polls can be delayed legally but stopped short of saying who has the authority to delay them, in a blow to embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra who insisted that the voting date, fixed by royal decree, was unchangeable.
An eight-member bench of the Constitutional Court ruled that the polls announced by Yingluck's caretaker government can be postponed.
Eight judges unanimously agreed that the vote can be postponed, and they voted 7-1 that Yingluck should discuss a new date with the Election Commission and issue a new date.
The was case forwarded to the court by the Election Commission to rule who had the authority to postpone the election, the poll panel or the caretaker government.
The Election Commission had asked the court to rule on the different legal interpretations of who has the power and responsibility to call a new election, despite a royal decree having been issued for the polls to be held on February 2.
The caretaker administration has repeatedly said it has no authority to defer the polls declared by a royal decree. The poll panel argued that the caretaker cabinet has the responsibility to seek a new election through a new royal decree.
