Thai Constitutional Court dissolves progressive Move Forward Party

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Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ordered the dissolution of the progressive Move Forward Party (MFP) saying it violated the constitution when it pledged to amend the country’s lese-majeste law outlawing criticism of the royal family.

In a unanimous decision, the court in Bangkok also banned the party’s executive board, which includes its former leader Pita Limjaroenrat and current chief Chaithawat Tulathon for 10 years.

Pita, who led MFP to victory in the 2023 general election, was popular, especially among young and urban voters, for his pledge to reform the strict royal defamation law, which rights groups say has been misused to stifle pro-democracy groups.

But his bid to become prime minister was blocked by conservative forces in the Senate. His political career was further shaken earlier this year when the Election Commission asked the country’s top court to dissolve the MFP.

The decision comes six months after the same court ordered MFP to drop its plan to reform the law on royal insults, ruling it was unconstitutional and risked undermining the country’s system of governance with the king as head of state.

While the ruling is likely to anger millions of young and urban voters who backed the party, its impact is expected to be limited, with only 11 current and former executives banned from political activity for a decade.

That means 143 of its lawmakers will keep their seats and are expected to reorganise under a new party, as they did in 2020, when its predecessor, the Future Forward Party (FFP), was disbanded for violating election finance laws.

More to come.