Thailand's Election Commission (EC) has unanimously chosen to request the Constitutional Court to dissolve the opposition Move Forward party, as it found enough evidence to believe that the party has tried to overthrow the Constitutional Monarchy, as per the Political Parties Act.
The EC's action comes after the Constitutional Court's January 31 unanimous decisionst that the Move Forward party and its then leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, were found guilty of using their rights and freedoms to overthrow the Constitutional Monarchy, through their proposed amendment of Section 112 of the Criminal Code, or the lèse majesté law, and continuous campaigning for the amendment bill.
Responding to the Election Commission's decision, Move Forward spokesman Parit Wacharasindhu stated to the media today that the party and its legal team have been preparing for this moment.
He urged the media not to presume that the party will be dissolved, stating that their legal team will defend the party and demonstrate its innocence.
He explained that the matter at hand is not only the fate of the party, but also the setting of a precedent for Thai politics in the future.
Parit mentioned that several parties have been dissolved in the past, and emphasized that the Move Forward party does not want party dissolution to become the norm. He stated that a party should not be dissolved due to wrongdoings by its executives, who should face the legal consequences.
When asked if the Move Forward party has a contingency plan, the party-list MP noted that they have strategies to handle all situations, including the worst-case scenario.
Parit highlighted that the most concerning aspects of the possibility of a party's dissolution are the implications for Thai politics as a whole.
“It seems that we are establishing a political value or culture in which dissolving a party is typical. Instead, we should create an environment in which all parties can develop into political institutions that do not prioritize individuals, but serve as a gathering point for people who share similar perspectives,” said Parit.
