Amid political turmoil, Thailand's election body takes centre stage

Somchai Sri Sutthiyakorn, a member of Thailand's Election Commission, smiles during an interview with Reuters at Thammasat University in Pathum Thani province, on the outskirts of Bangkok in this February 11, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom/Files

BANGKOK (Reuters) - As Thailand tries to resolve a debilitating political stalemate, five unelected officials have been armed with the power to over-rule its government in key areas and chart a route out of the mess left by this month's disrupted election.

For three-and-a-half months, protesters, mostly from Bangkok and the south, have been seeking to overthrow Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and rid the country of the influence of her brother, ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.