The text in the Constitution is clearly written – the election is to be held 150 days after the four laws essential for the election are “effective”, not “promulgated”, the law professor said.

If the 90 days were to be added on to the MP bill, then an election postponement could be expected, he said.

“I view that this is another way to do it if [they] don’t want the vote to happen,” Parinya said. “It was marked before as November 2018, but if the enforcement date is set [that way] then the voting is delayed.”

He said this was a serious issue. Although some people may think that democracy is not all about the election, voting was intertwined with the charter, he said.

The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) could stay in power until the new government was in place, he added. But the NCPO would be questioned and there would be pressure on it, especially given that it is on its decline, he said.