MFP defers vote ahead of court ruling
>> The opposition Move Forward Party (MFP) has deferred electing new executives pending the Constitutional Court’s ruling that will decide the party’s fate over its effort to amend the lese majete law.
The MFP convened its plenary meeting in Bangkok yesterday, where members were told of the postponement.
Emerging from the meeting, party spokesman Parit Wacharasindhu announced that no new executives would be picked until the court case concluded.
The Election Commission (EC) has urged the Court to dissolve the MFP under Section 92 of the Political Parties Act. The court has accepted the case for hearing.
Under the law, the EC is empowered to propose the dissolution of a party to the court if it has obtained enough evidence of an act deemed hostile to the democratic regime with the King as head of state.
The action was taken in response to the court ruling on Jan 31 in which the MFP was found to have pushed for changes to Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese majeste law, indicating an intention to undermine the constitutional monarchy.
As an agency enforcing the Political Parties Act, the EC acted against the MFP as the Jan 31 ruling presents grounds for dissolution.
Mr Parit also outlined the party’s priorities in the coming months.
Despite parliament now being in recess, the MFP is making use of the break to prepare more than 50 bills ahead of parliament reconvening in July.
Party MPs will work with their constituencies and report back on issues that people need help with while expanding their political network and support bases.
In the meantime, it has set its sights on fielding candidates in elections for provincial administrative organisation members in at least 19 provinces.
The MFP has named candidates in three of the provinces.
MFP leader Thawatchai Tulathon said yesterday the MFP was compiling rebuttals of the dissolution allegations.
The case is complex and involves a great deal of paperwork. The court has the power to extend the deadline for submitting essential defence documents, he said.
Mr Thawatchai said the party needs more time to study the petition filed by the EC. He would have to establish if the petition implicates the 44 MFP MPs who co-signed a document calling for changes to the lese majeste law.
Meanwhile, Pita Limjaroenrat, MFP leader’s chief adviser, said the party deserves enough time to put up a fight against what could amount to its political execution.
He insisted the party’s morale was firmly intact.
“Have the powers-that-be ever asked themselves what is there to be gained from disbanding a political party?
“It might weaken us in the short term, but it could also galvanise us tremendously and propel us forward in the next elections,” Mr Pita said.