13/12/2018 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 12 December, the European External Action Service spokeswoman welcomed the authorisation, given the previous day, to political parties to campaign for the next Thai parliamentary elections, which will be held in February. "The lifting of restrictions placed on political activities by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), including those imposed on gatherings of five or more people for political purposes, is an important step on the road to restoring democracy," the spokeswoman said in a statement. “We look forward to an open and peaceful election campaign, with the government ensuring the freedom of expression necessary for the democratic process,” she warned, calling for credible, inclusive and competitive elections, with a level playing field for all parties, followed by the appointment of a democratically elected civilian government. (CG)