Thailand Orders Dissolution of Anti-establishment Election Winner
Editor
7 August 2024 22:08 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Bangkok - Thailand's Constitutional Court on Wednesday, August 7, ordered the dissolution of the anti-establishment opposition party Move Forward, ruling its campaign to amend a law that protects the monarchy from criticism risked undermining the democratic system.
The disbanding of Move Forward, which won most seats in the 2023 election, is the latest setback for Thailand's major political parties, which are embroiled in a two-decade battle for power against a nexus of influential conservatives, old money families, and the royalist military.
Though the dissolution could anger millions of young and urban voters who backed Move Forward and its progressive agenda, the impact of the ruling could be minimal, with only its 11 party executives receiving 10-year political bans as a result of the verdict.
Hours after the ruling, Move Forward's leaders announced the surviving 143 lawmakers would regroup and form a new party on Friday, as they did in 2020 when predecessor Future Forward was dissolved over a campaign funding violation.
Deputy leader Sirikanya Tansakul said the new vehicle, which would be the biggest party in parliament, would take on the same core ideology and would not neglect its promises to the electorate.
"We will not abandon our dream and our mission and duty that was tasked to us," she said.
"As long as the people are alongside us and support us to change this country, we will continue forward."
Wednesday's decision came six months after the same court ordered Move Forward to drop its plan to reform the law on royal insults, ruling it was unconstitutional and undermined the system of governance with the king as head of state.
He had low expectations when he planted the crop of subtropical bananas in his community farm,
In a unanimous decision that cited the January ruling, the judges said Move Forward had used the monarchy to gain an election advantage, putting the palace in conflict with the people.
"The action of the accused is, therefore, an action that may antagonize the democratic system with the king as the head of state," they said.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been on the throne for seven years. The monarch is enshrined in the constitution as being in a position of "revered worship" and the palace is seen by royalists as sacrosanct.
Perceived insults of the monarchy are punishable by up to 15 years in jail.
