Thailand’s military junta says elections won’t take place until 2016, instead of late 2015 as previously promised by coup leader and phony baloney Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.  And the reason sets up doubt that whatever elections might take place will actually be democratic.

“We will be able to organize elections around the start of 2016 once the constitution is drafted,” Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan.  “Right now there are elements opposed to the National Council for Peace and Order.”

That’s right.  He actually said that because there is opposition, elections could not be held.  So, Prawit is expecting only candidates who agree with the military dictatorship’s official government line? 

“Six months after the coup, criticism is systematically prosecuted, political activity is banned, media is censored, and dissidents are tried in military courts,” said Human Rights Watch earlier this week, adding that that Thailand had “fallen into an apparently bottomless pit”.

The so-called National Council for Peace and Order was formed to pass reforms designed to limit the influence of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra – ousted in an earlier coup – and Thaksin’s sister, former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra – ousted in the latest coup.  Thaksin and Yingluck upset the Thai establishment with populist policies that brought healthcare, education, and development to the poor and underserved north of the country – you know, that place where the wealthy Bangkok dweller’s servants used to come from.