Move Forward Party Against Disbandment Efforts, Fate In The Hands Of The Constitutional Court

JAKARTA - Thailand's Move Forward Party (FFP) and opposition leader Chaithawat Tulathon said his party would fight in legal action after the General Elections Commission (KPU) asked the Constitutional Court to dissolve the opposition party.

As reported by ANTARA, the MFP's efforts were considered by the Thai KPU as an attempt to overthrow the Thai state's constitutional monarchy, for efforts to remove or amend Article 112 of the Criminal Code, Thursday, March 14.

However, Chaithawat acknowledged that the legal action would be very difficult. Chaithawat said that with MFP he was ready to fight according to the law.

He asked the Thai Constitutional Court to give the party the opportunity to defend accusations and tell the truth.

Regarding rumors that the party was preparing a reserve party, Chaithawat said the MFP is now focused on fully defending the allegations.

Chaithawat also mentioned the comments of the Chief Advisor to the MFP, Pita Limjaroenrat and several party lawmakers who sent uploads on social media platforms that they complained about the fate of the MFP and wanted to fix it.

Chaithawat said that the disbandment of the party was not an acceptable step, but had to prove that this action was not the right thing in politics.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Thai KPU Ittiporn Boonprakong emphasized that there was no order to direct the Commission to ask the Thai Constitutional Court to dissolve the MFP. He said the Thai KPU had taken the right time, not too quickly, to ask for a disbandment to the court.

He said the most important evidence was the decision of the Thai Constitutional Court before. The Thai KPU will also consider whether the MFP has violated other laws to encourage further legal action related to criminal law.

Yuthaporn Issarachai, professor of political science at the University of Sukhothai Thammathirat, said there were two possible scenarios for the decision of the Thai Constitutional Court.

In the first scenario, the Thai Constitutional Court rejected the petition, and the MFP would not be disbanded. In the second scenario, the Thai Constitutional Court accepted the request.

According to him, there are also two other scenarios. In the first scenario, MFP was dissolved and party officials were prohibited from participating in the upcoming elections. In the second scenario, the Thai Constitutional Court rejected the case.