Last year, the Move Forward party caused a sensation in Thailand and won the parliamentary elections by a clear margin. However, it still did not come to power. Now it is being dissolved by the judiciary.
The Constitutional Court in Thailand has dissolved the progressive Move Forward Party under pressure from conservative forces. The reason for this is that the party is endangering the monarchy, local media reported. The former top candidate Pita Limjaroenrat and other leading members are also not allowed to hold political office for the next ten years, it was said.
At the request of the electoral commission, the court examined whether the party had acted unconstitutionally because it had campaigned to relax the strict law on lèse majesté. The verdict comes as little surprise to political observers and the party itself.
Days ago, Move Forward announced that the party had already become an important political institution that would not fall silent even if it were dissolved: “The dissolution of a political party only ends a legal organization, but can never silence its ideology,” it said in a video posted on Facebook.
Move Forward won the parliamentary elections last year by a clear margin, but still failed to gain power. Its charismatic former leading candidate, Pita, was repeatedly rejected as a candidate for prime minister by senators close to the military.
Party bans are not new
The main reason was the democratic party’s plan to change the extremely strict law on lèse majesté, which provides for up to 15 years in prison for those who violate it. After weeks of political turmoil, Pita was ousted by former alliance partner Pheu Thai and its candidate Srettha Thavisin, who was elected head of government in August last year and has been in office since November. Move Forward has been the strongest opposition force since then.
Party bans are nothing new in Thailand: Move Forward’s predecessor, Future Forward, was also banned in 2020. Often, members then simply form a new party. Deputy party leader Sirikanya Tansakul stressed in the Facebook video: “The spirit of Future Forward and Move Forward will remain, no matter what name the party has.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
