Thai court says Election Commission can defer February 2 vote

Thailand's Constitutional Court ruled unanimously on Friday that the Election Commission has the authority to postpone a general election scheduled for February 2. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had called the election to try to defuse anti-government protests.

The commission has said the potential for violence and the absence of registered candidates in some areas meant the vote should be delayed but the government had argued that was not legally possible.