Story highlights
Thousands of protesters rally in Bangkok ahead of elections
The government has imposed a state of emergency after protests
The emergency decree lasts 60 days
A Thai court ruled Friday that elections scheduled for next month in the Asian nation could be postponed, a decision likely to please anti-government demonstrators who’ve taken to the streets of Bangkok.
The Constitutional Court said that decision must be agreed and carried out jointly by the government and the election commission.
Protesters in Bangkok and southern Thailand have been calling for the democratically elected Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down. They want to replace her administration with an unelected “people council,” which would see through electoral and political changes.
After a series of recent outbreaks of violence, Thai authorities declared a state of emergency this week, giving extra powers to security forces.
The emergency decree gives authorities the power to impose curfews, detain suspects without court permission, censor media and declare parts of the capital off-limits.
It lasts 60 days.