BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand's royal palace has issued a decree announcing the holding of the first general election since the military took power in 2014.

The date of the vote is to be announced by the Election Commission within five days.

The decree published Wednesday in the Royal Gazette puts into effect the election laws that were drafted by the military government.

Officials had earlier promised to hold the polls on Feb. 24 but that date appears in doubt because Wednesday's decree was not published earlier this month as expected.