Elected Thai govt to take power earliest by end-2017: official

Bangkok

A DEMOCRATICALLY elected government will take power in Thailand at the earliest by December 2017, a senior Thai official said on Monday, after the country endorsed a military-backed constitution paving the way for a general election.

Thais handed the junta of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha a convincing win in the referendum on Sunday, with preliminary results showing over 61 per cent voted in favour. Full results are due on Wednesday.

A desire to see greater political stability drove the yes vote, analysts said. Thailand has been rocked by more than a decade of political turmoil that has stunted growth, two military takeovers and several rounds of often deadly street protests.

"We think there will be an election at the earliest in September or October 2017 and a new government by December 2017," Chatchai Na Chiang Mai, spokesman for the Constitution Drafting Committe…