Thailand's Move Forward Party Set to be Disbanded over Concerns Lese Majeste Policy Threatened Monarchy

[bust]

• In short: Thailand's Election Commission has decided to ask the country's Constitutional Court to dissolve the political party Move Forward, which won the most seats at last year's general election.
• The commission said the party, which had promised before the election to amend the country's lese majeste law, "undermines the democratic system with the king as the head of state".
• What's next? Experts say the Constitutional Court is "highly likely" to comply with the Election Commission's request. 

Thailand's Move Forward Party celebrated last year after winning the most seats in the national election. (Reuters: Jorge Silva)

Thailand's opposition party, which won the most seats in last year's national election, is expected to be dissolved following a request by the country's Election Commission.

The commission on Tuesday announced it would ask Thailand's Constitutional Court to disband the Move Forward Party (MFP) over concerns the party's campaign to change a law against insulting the monarchy undermines the country's system of governance.

The commission's decision followed a ruling by the court in January that said Move Forward had violated the constitution with its plans to change the lese majeste law.

The court ruling found the party's proposed amendments to article 112 of the criminal code constituted an attempt to destroy Thailand's constitutional monarchy.

"There is evidence that Move Forward undermines the democratic system with the king as the head of state," the Election Commission said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The Election Commission has considered and analyzed the Constitutional Court verdict and has decided unanimously to ask the Constitutional Court to dissolve the Move Forward party."

Move Forward's progressive agenda has resonated among millions of young and urban voters and it won a stunning victory over military-backed parties in a May election.

But its plan to change lese majeste laws outraged conservative lawmakers allied with the royalist military who torpedoed the party's attempts to form a government.

If the party is dissolved, its leaders could be banned from politics for 10 years.

Decision 'not at all surprising'

Adam Simpson, a senior lecturer in international studies at the University of South Australia, said the development was "not at all surprising".

"It is highly likely that the Constitutional Court will take the case and rule that the MFP should be disbanded," Dr Simpson said.

"Both the Election Commission and the Constitutional Court are generally considered to be the vehicles of conservative elites and have repeatedly made adverse judgements against any liberal or progressive parties and politicians who might challenge the power of the military or monarchy in society."

Dr Simpson noted that a "similar approach" was used in 2020 to dissolve the Future Forward Party, the forerunner to the MFP. 

"Until parties representing the popular will of the people, such as MFP, are allowed to form government we will see a continuation of the anti-democratic tendencies of governments that represent the interests of the military and monarchy rather than policies that respect and promote democracy and human rights," he said.

 

The disbandment of the Future Forward Party in 2020 sparked long-running anti-government protests.(Reuters: Jorge Silva)

Thailand scholar Patrick Jory, a senior lecturer in South-East Asian history at the University of Queensland, agreed that the court would likely proceed to dissolve the party.

Dr Jory said the MFP was supported by much of Thailand's young people and did well at the election in the "more affluent, middle-class parts of the country".

"They won almost every seat in Bangkok and did well in places like Chiang Mai and Phuket, for example," he said.

"Conservatives regard MFP as a threat to the monarchy. Thaksin Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai party, which is now effectively in a political alliance with the conservatives, regard it as their main political rival. 

"Having said that, MFP have from the start been well aware of the threat of dissolution.

"It will be interesting to see how they respond."

Move Forward party has argued its campaign to change article 112 was aimed at strengthening the constitutional monarchy and preventing the law from being misused.

"We have no intention to overthrow the democratic system with the king as the head of state," Move Forward Party spokesperson Parit Wacharasindhu told Reuters on Tuesday.

"We will prove our innocence at the Constitutional Court," he said.

Pita Limjaroenrat, who led the party to its 2023 election victory, told Reuters in an interview last month Move Forward had a succession plan if it was dissolved and the party's ideology would live on.

The dissolution of the Future Forward Party in 2020 sparked widescale youth-led protests openly criticising the monarchy.

Many of the protest leaders and participants have since faced lese majeste charges.

Dr Jory said he did not think there would be such large demonstrations this time around.

"I think that MFP thinks that protests have limited political use in circumstances like these," he said.

"I think they are concentrating their efforts much more on long-term political goals."

What is Thailand's lese majeste law?

Thailand's lese majeste legislation carries punishment of up to 15 years jail for each perceived insult or defamation against the king, queen, heir and regent.

Thailand's monarchy is enshrined in the constitution to be held in a position of "revered worship," and many royalists see the lese majeste law as sacrosanct.

The palace typically does not comment on the lese majeste law.

Rights activists say the law has been abused by conservative politicians to smear liberal opponents and stifle institutional reforms.

More than 260 people have been prosecuted under the legislation since 2020, including a man facing a record 50 years jail time over Facebook posts critical of the monarchy.

ABC/Reuters

[Mekong]

Lies, Lies and more Lies, MFP did not promise to amend the majeste law, they stated that they would discuss it. Any decent opposition party has a manifesto . MFP didn’t have the power to unilaterally amend the lese majeste law.

I can’t say that I am surprised in the slightest, I predicted as much this would happen over 6 moths ago