Thai court says polls can be delayed

Thailand's Constitutional Court has ruled that polls scheduled for 2 February can be legally postponed. 

But it said any postponement must have the agreement of the election commission and the prime minister. 

The election commission says polls should be delayed because of political turmoil. The government insists elections should go ahead as planned.

A state of emergency is in place in Thailand as protesters call for PM Yingluck Shinawatra to step down.

Protesters want to install an unelected "people's council" to run the country until the political system is changed. 

The Election Commission and the main opposition party, the Democrats, have called on the government to delay the poll, saying that the current unrest makes conducting a free and fair election too difficult.

The government, however, has said there was no legal basis to delay because the constitution provides that there must be an election 45-60 days after parliament is dissolved. 

The Constitutional Court said that the Election Commission must present its recommendation to the government, which must then submit it to King Bhumibol Adulyadej for royal approval, reports the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok.
This must happen before advanced voting starts this Sunday, our correspondent adds. 

Source : BBC