BANGKOK — The ultra-conservative monk Phra Buddha Issara has submitted 50,000 signatures he collected in support of delaying elections for two more years so that junta chairman Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha can stay in power until his reform program is completed.

Buddha Issara, a political activist who led the street protests that culminated in the May 2014 coup d'etat, said the 50,000 petitioners would like the military government to finish its sweeping reform effort before a new election is held. 

The monk also urged the junta to hold a referendum to decide the issue. Panadda Diskul, Minister of the Prime Minister's Office, accepted the petition on Gen. Prayuth's behalf. 

Read more: Buddha Issara Wants Prayuth to Stay 'Until Reforms are Completed'

Under the current "road map" promised by the junta, the next election will be held in September 2016 at the earliest. 

Buddha Issara's proposal is similar to a petition submitted by 26 members of the junta-appointed National Reform Council, who called for a referendum to decide whether Gen. Prayuth should delay the election and stay in power for two more years in order to complete the reforms. Buddha Issara's proposal does not mention any time frame for how long Gen. Prayuth should stay on. 

"I support [the idea] of reforms before an election," Buddha Issara said when he launched the campaign to collect the 50,000 signatures on 5 June, citing a slogan of the protest movement he helped lead in 2013 – 2014, which aimed to topple the government of then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Buddha Issara and other protest leaders demanded that the Yingluck administration be replaced with an unelected "People’s Council" to implement unspecified national reforms before a new poll.

The street protests came to an end after six months when Gen. Prayuth intervened and seized power on 22 May 2014.

Meanwhile, Suthin Picharn, leader of the New Democratic Party – a former coalition party with the Yingluck government – submitted his own counter-proposal to the Constitution Drafting Committee today, urging Gen. Prayuth to uphold the current "road map" and organize a national election in September 2016 as he has promised. 

"Right now, everyone is waiting for an election," Suthin said. 

He also called on the military junta to relax its ban on political activities and allow political parties to continue their works and campaigns freely. "At this moment, political parties cannot do anything," Suthin said. A parliament official received the petition on the government's behalf. 

Read more: Prayuth Will Stay in Power if 'Everyone Wants Me to'

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BANGKOK — Nearly 100 pro-democracy activists staged a rare rally against the Thai junta today, hours after junta chairman Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha reminded the public that protests are still banned in Thailand under his military regime.

"Don't try to fool me and act like you can do or say anything ‘because we are a democracy,’" Gen. Prayuth said at an anti-corruption event in Bangkok this morning. "Do you misunderstand something? Today, I am the one makes the rules. Previous governments couldn’t do that. But today, I made the rules, and all of you have to follow them." 

The general outlawed public protests and political activities after seizing power from an elected government in May 2014. The few who have attempted to defy the ban – mostly university students – are usually quickly rounded up by police. Some have also been charged and sent to face trial in martial court.

Speaking to the audience this morning, Gen. Prayuth warned that he has the names of people who are preparing protests against his regime, but did not elaborate. 

Hours later, nearly 100 people gathered in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen in solidarity with seven student activists who are facing charges for unfurling an anti-junta banner on the anniversary of the May 2014 coup last month.

The seven Khon Kaen Universty students, from the progressive student activist network Dao Din, were scheduled to report to police at 5 pm today to formally hear their charges, but announced this afternoon that they would not show up as an act of "civil disobedience." They were then joined by dozens of other social justice activists around Khon Kaen’s Democracy Monument, making it one of the largest anti-junta rallies since the May 2014 coup.

Soldiers and police monitor the pro-democracy rally in Khon Kaen, 8 June 2015.

Approximately 100 soldiers and police officers were dispatched to contain the demonstration.  Brief scuffles broke out when security officers took away some of the protesters' banners, but no arrests were made.

To symbolize the junta's suspension of democracy, activists wrapped camouflage-patterned cloth around the city’s Democracy Monument, and read a statement on behalf of Dao Din.

The statement called on the junta to repeal its ban on political activities, end "intimidation" and legal action against civilians, organize an election "immediately," and allow local communities to participate more in important issues. 

Later the in the day, the students’ lawyer asked police to postpone their surrender for seven more days. The request was approved.  

The seven Dao Din students, who are facing up to one year in prison, are Chatupat Boonyapatraksa, Apiwat Suntararak, Payu Boonsopon, Panupong Srithananuwat, Suvicha Tipangkorn, Supachai Pukrongploy, and Wasant Satesit.

"If they still do not report themselves to the police in the second meeting, we will arrest them immediately," said Pol.Col. Noppadol Petchsutthi, commander of Mueang Khon Kaen Police Station.