Pheu Thai party leader Chonlanan Srikaew is urging Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to dissolve parliament and to hold a snap election, noting that the defeat of the ruling Palang Pracharat party in yesterday’s Bangkok Constituency 9 by-election is a reflection of the government’s failure to ease people’s hardships.

To return the power back to the people by dissolving parliament is the best option and there is nothing to be ashamed of, said Chonlanan today (Monday), adding that the election result is a sign that people now want political change and democracy.

He also said that the party will work harder, with the goals of winning a landslide in the next general election, forming a new government and working for the people.

The opposition party announced its victory in the by-election yesterday after votes from 265 out of 280 polling units, or 94.6% of the votes had been counted, with its candidate, Surachart Thienthong, leading by a wide margin against the next best performer, Karoonpon Tiensuwan of the Move Forward party. Surachart garnered 27,284 against Karoonpon’s 19,081.

Unofficial poll results, released by the Bangkok election commission’s office at about 9.30pm after the completion of vote count in all 2,890 polling units, are as follows:

Voter turnout was 52.68%.