Thailand
has been without a fully functioning government or parliament since December.
Election Commission secretary general Puchong Nutrawong said the new voting date had been decided during talks with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Wednesday.
Ms Yingluck to resign to make way for an unelected "people's council" to oversee political reforms before elections are held.
Ms Yingluck is pushing for new polls as soon as possible to shore up her position in the face of a series of legal challenges that could force her from office.
She is accused of dereliction of duty linked to a loss-making rice subsidy scheme and the improper transfer of a senior civil servant.
she was worried about a looming charter court ruling in the Thawil Pliensri transfer case that could threaten her future as prime minister and that of the entire cabinet.
Last month the Supreme Administrative Court ruled that the transfer of Mr Thawil as National Security Council secretary-general was unlawful and ordered him to be reinstated. Mr Thawil was removed in September 2011, paving the way for then police chief Pol Gen Wichean Potephosree to replace him and Pol Gen Priewpan Damapong, a relative of Ms Yingluck, to succeed Pol Gen Wichean as police chief.
Speaking to reporters at the Defence Ministry Thursday, Ms Yingluck said she will consult with her lawyers whether she will testify in person to the court on May 6.''I am worried about this issue as the Supreme Administrative Court has already ruled on the case. But I will do my best to clarify the matter,'' Ms Yingluck said, adding that she did not want to speculate on the future. The prime minister also said she hoped the charter court will rule on the case based on the facts and the rule of law.Charter court spokesman Pimon Thampitakpong said that on May 6 the court is expected to either fix the date for the ruling on the case or seek additional documents if evidence is still incomplete.Meanwhile, former Democrat prime minister Chuan Leekpai said the problems plaguing the country now had to do with the government's mishandling of policies and using unlawful approaches in administration.Speaking at the 16th anniversary of the Constitutional Court under the theme of "Political reform under the rule of law,'' he said the southern insurgent violence and judicial killings were cases in point."The rule of law is a part of good governance. Adhering to the law to administer the country will bring peace to the country. However, there will be new problems if the government resorts to unlawful approaches (in dealing with national administration),'' he said, alleging that on many occasions, the rule of law has been violated.The government has not put the right people in the right job, he added.Borwornsak Uwanno, secretary-general of the King Prajadhipok's Institute, said the Constitutional Court should have the authority to decide on its own what section of the charter to alter, if such content warrants amending.He stressed upholding the rule of law was imperative in allowing the country to progress and anyone who undermines the rule of law also destroys democracy.National reform should cast aside populist policies and change them so they are more in tune with state welfare programmes since they use state budget and they incur debt burdens to be passed on to future governments, Mr Borwornsak said.He added the country's current tax structure should also be changed.Since November, Thailand has been shaken by months of political violence that has left 25 people dead and hundreds wounded, including many anti-government protesters, in grenade attacks and shootings.
The country has been bitterly divided since a coup in 2006 ousted Ms Yingluck's brother Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister.
He still wields huge influence from his self-exile in Dubai, where he lives to avoid prison for a corruption conviction.
