Thai court delays decision on Move Forward Party’s dissolution case

The pro-democracy group is accused of attempting to overthrow the monarchy by promising to overhaul the royal defamation law

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Move Forward Party’s former leader Pita Limjaroenrat speaks at a political event in Bangkok on May 19. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 11:07am, 12 Jun 2024Updated: 2:04pm, 12 Jun 2024

Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday pushed back deliberations in a dissolution case against an opposition party to next week over an allegation that it had tried to overthrow the monarchy with an election campaign call to reform the royal defamation law.

The pro-democracy Move Forward Party stunned the Thai establishment in last year’s polls by winning 14 million votes and 151 parliamentary seats.

But it was pushed into opposition and its candidate for prime minister Pita Limjaroenrat was blocked from taking office by the military-appointed Senate.

Move Forward has since been weighed down by court cases driven through by conservative rivals rattled by the party’s popular call for root-and-branch reform of the economy and power structure.

The dissolution case was brought by the Election Commission alleging the call to amend the tough royal defamation law – known as 112 – was tantamount to an attempt to topple the monarchy, Thailand’s apex institution.

“We are going to consider this case on Tuesday (June 18),” the court said in a statement, without giving a date for a verdict.