Early results showed Thailand's pro-military party taking a surprising lead over the main democratic opposition party.

Iran Press/Asia: Both parties say they will try to form a government, though official results aren't due until Friday according to DW.

Official results in Thailand's first general election since the military coup of 2014 have been delayed until Friday, the country's election commission announced on Monday, after preliminary results put the pro-junta party in the lead.

The vote pitted a royalist junta headed by former general Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha against a 'democratic front' led by the political party he ousted.

The pro-military Palang Pracharat party won 7.6 million votes, although it is unclear if it will be enough for an absolute majority.

The main opposition party, Pheu Thai, won 7.2 million votes.

Future Forward, a popular party among young voters, won nearly 5.3 million votes.

The winners of 350 seats of Thailand's 500-seat House of Representatives are due to be announced on Monday.

The electoral body put voter turnout at over 65 percent — a figure critics said was too low and seemed to contradict pre-election polls and the long lines outside of polling stations.

The Pheu Thai party claimed on Monday that it won the most seats and will try to form a government with other anti-Junta parties. 

Pheu Thai Secretary General Phumtham Wechayachai said his party believed there were voting irregularities. "It will be clearer once the official result is announced," he said.

More than 93,000 polling stations in 77 provinces will be open until 5 p.m. (1000 GMT). The election commission has said the first unofficial results will be available three hours after voting ends. 208/211/103

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