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Thailand's general election slated for Feb.2, 2014 will eventually take place, but it will not be a very peaceful and smooth one, Thai associate professor Pornchai Trakulwaranont predicted.
"There will be a lot of disruption here and there across the country," Pornchai, Vice Rector for Administration at Bangkok- based Thammsat University told Xinhua.
The turnout of voters may not be satisfactory, Pornchai said, predicting the possibility that in some provinces, only less than 10 percent of eligible voters choose to cast votes on the election day.
The election management may also be problematic, as there might be a shortage of volunteers, he added.
Pornchai also considered possible a boycott of the election on a national scale, which could engage people from the southern, eastern and central regions.
People in the south have boycotted an election before and it is likely they will repeat it, according to the associate professor.
"In economically developed regions, people are more politically active and aware, and they will react very quickly to political issues," he noted.
It is reported that the ruling party Pheu Thai headed by Yingluck Shinawatra is eyeing another landslide victory in the upcoming election.
Pheu Thai expects to win at least 265 seats, party spokesman Prompong Nopparit was quoted as saying. In the last election in 2011, Pheu Thai won 265 out of 500 seats.
The former major opposition Democrat Party is yet to decide whether to contest in the election or not this Saturday, said Abhisit Vejjajiva, who was reelected party leader on Tuesday.
It is widely believed that Democrat Party only has slim chance at winning if it competes, and that's why the opposition leaders have strongly opposed the holding of the polls.
Even without the Democrats, the general election could still take place, Pornchai said.
He pointed to the possibility that Pheu Thai gives up absolute majority by giving away some votes to small political parties to form a coalition.
Such a proposal would be attractive to small parties, "because it is their best chance at joining a coalition," he said.
However, there would be questions about the legitimacy of the coalition if these small parties only get small numbers of vote, Pornchai added.
"If, for example, half of the House of Representatives is composed of members from constituencies who have small numbers of votes, and problems of legitimacy will arise," he said.
The possibility of the election being postponed cannot be ruled out, though, according to Pornchai.
Currently, 312 former legislators are being investigated for proposing a charter amendment to change the composition of the Senate, which has been ruled by the Constitutional Court as unconstitutional.
"If all these people are found ineligible, the election has to be postponed," Pornchai said.
