Preliminary results in Thailand's general election on Sunday, have the country's opposition parties — the Move Forward Party (MFP) and the Pheu Thai party — as clear victors.
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With 99% of votes counted, data from the Election Commission showed that MFP had 113 constituency seats of the 400 seats where MPs are elected across the country.
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The Pheu Thai Party led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra — the daughter of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra — has 112 seats.
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"It is now clear that Move Forward Party has received overwhelming support from the people around the country," Pita Limjaroenrat said on Twitter.
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The national election was expected to unseat the ruling conservative military-backed government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha after almost a decade. Prayuth's United Thai Nation Party has 23 constituency seats.
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But who heads the next government won't be decided by Sunday's vote alone. The prime minister will be selected in July in a joint session of the House and the 250-seat Senate, which was appointed by the junta.
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Preliminary results are expected by late evening, although the final number of seats for each party will not be officially confirmed for several weeks.
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The main opposition Pheu Thai party, led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra,was projected to secure most seats in the 500-member lower House, where 400 lawmakers are elected directly. The winner must secure at least 376 votes and no party is likely to do that on its own.
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Both opposition parties are anti-military parties and the Senate comprises members who favor the military.
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After casting her ballot in Bangkok, Shinawatra showed no signs of nerves. "Today is going to be a good day. I have very positive energy about it," the 36-year-old told reporters.
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The progressive Move Forward Party, led by 42-year-old Pita Limjaroenrat, has made strong gains, especially among younger voters.
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Both parties are pitted against rivals from the conservative, military-backed establishment that currently holds sway.
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Incumbent Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is running for re-election with his newly formed conservative United Thai Nation Party. As one of those involved in Thailand's 2014 military coup, Prayuth became premier after a controversial 2019 election.
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Prawit Wongsuwan, who leads the Palang Pracharath Party, was also one of the chief architects of the 2014 coup. He was a close ally of Prayuth, serving as his deputy prime minister, until they fell out.
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About 52 million people were eligible to vote in the elections to choose between progressive opposition parties and the incumbent government led by Prayuth who first came to power in a 2014 coup.
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About 95,000 polling stations set up across the country opened at 8:00 am (0100 GMT) on Sunday.
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It was the first election being held since youth-led pro-democracy protests broke out in 2020.
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Despite opinion polls suggesting the likelihood of a change in government, a history of military coups, court orders and junta-formulated 2017 constitution sustain fears of the military's continued rule.
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In the 2019 elections, Pheu Thai won most seats but its military-backed nemesis, the Palang Pracharath Party, entered into a coalition with Prayuth as prime minister.
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The Senate will jointly decide the fate of the country which has seen dozens of coups in the last century and witnessed a series of street protests.
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kb, rm, mf/wd (AFP, Reuters, AP)
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