Bangkok, Mar 12 (EFE).- Thailand’s electoral commission asked the country’s constitutional court Tuesday to dissolve main opposition party Move Forward after a January ruling that said the party’s requests for reforms are tantamount to an attempt to overthrow the monarchy.
The organization made the decision against the reformist formation, which under the leadership of the charismatic politician Pita Limjaroenrat earned the rivalry of pro-monarchical elites by requesting the reform of a draconian royal defamation law, which punishes offenses against the monarchy.
“There is evidence that Move Forward has committed actions to overthrow the democratic system under the monarchy,” the commission said in a statement.
This case has its origins in a petition filed against Move Forward before the Electoral Commission by former senator and pro-monarchist activist Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, known as the “serial petitioner” for his numerous petitions against progressive groups and individuals.
Ruankrai relied on a decision by the court, which in January ruled that Move Forward’s electoral promises to debate and propose changes to the royal defamation law, also known as Article 112 of the Penal Code, was an attempt to overthrow the monarchy and unconstitutional.
The court ordered the party, which achieved an overwhelming victory in May’s elections, supported above all by its reformist proposals, to immediately cease all its “actions, expressions of opinion, speeches, writings, printed matter, advertisements and any other similar form of communication” to modify the regulations.
Although the party won the elections, the appointment of its leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, as prime minister was blocked by the Senate, hand-picked by the former military junta.
The judicial processes and attempts to hinder both Pita and Move Forward bear similarities to the case of Future Forward, its predecessor, dissolved in February 2020 accused of having received an illegal loan.
The decision was widely criticized by the international community and which has served as a trigger for the massive pro-democratic protests of 2020 and 2021. EFE
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