Thailand junta to hold elections in November 2018

Thailand’s military junta announced Tuesday it will hold elections in November 2018, more than four years after it seized power and imposed a blanket ban on politics. The announcement came from junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha. He had promised immediately after his May 2014 coup to return power to civilians within 18 months, AFP said. The date has repeatedly slipped. After the vote, critics say there still will be limits on democracy under a new military-scripted charter. The junta chief also said he would “consider the timing for relaxing conditions on political parties at the appropriate time.”