In Thailand, a court is set to make a decision on the case involving former prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat on Wednesday. The case revolves around allegations that Pita broke the rules of the 2023 election, which was won by his party. This is the first of two cases targeting the opposition in Thailand, which has expressed intentions to implement significant reforms in the country.
Pita, who was educated at Harvard, saw his hopes of becoming premier dashed by lawmakers with ties to the royalist military. The allegations against him include holding shares in a media company in violation of election law, and if found guilty, he could lose his parliamentary seat.
He has defended himself before the Constitutional Court by arguing that the company’s loss of its broadcast concession in 2007 meant that it could not be considered a mass media organization.
Pita’s Move Forward Party, which won last year’s election as a surprise, gathered support from young and urban voters due to its ambitious plans to address business monopolies and reform the law that imposes long prison sentences for insults against the monarchy.
Next week, the same court will rule on whether Move Forward’s plan to amend the law was unconstitutional and equivalent to an attempt to overthrow the democratic regime with the king as the head of state.
If Move Forward is found guilty, it would be required to cease its controversial efforts to change the law, which has led to more than 200 prosecutions since 2020, with one individual facing a record prison sentence of 50 years.
These two cases, initiated by conservative politicians, are part of a 20-year power struggle in Thailand, pitting royalists, the military, and wealthy families against parties elected on populist or progressive platforms.
Despite being in the opposition, Move Forward remains a threat to the status quo, appealing to liberal voters through its charismatic politicians and innovative use of social media.
An opinion poll conducted last month by the National Institute of Development Administration revealed that Pita, aged 43, was the most popular politician in Thailand for 39% of respondents, with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin at 22%.
However, supporters of Move Forward fear that unfavorable rulings this month could lead to more serious legal action against the party, including criminal charges against Pita over his shareholding, dissolution of the party, and lengthy political bans for its executives.
Move Forward’s predecessor, Future Forward, also faced legal challenges, with its leader and prime ministerial candidate Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit being disqualified over a shareholding violation, and the party being disbanded for breaching campaign funding rules between 2019 and 2020.
(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Martin Petty)
