Politics After ban: Thailand's largest opposition party renamed
Two days after the court-ordered dissolution of the progressive Move Forward Party (MFP) in Thailand, the party has re-established itself under a new name. The strongest opposition party in the Southeast Asian country is now operating as the People's Party (PP), local media reported.
09.08.2024, 11:49
SDA
It is represented in parliament with 143 members. The 37-year-old computer engineer and entrepreneur Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut has been appointed chairman. He wants to continue the work of the MFP, it was reported.
Under pressure from conservative forces, the Thai Constitutional Court ordered the dissolution of the MFP on Wednesday. The reason for this was that, in the view of the judges, the strongest opposition party was endangering the monarchy with its proposed relaxation of the law on lèse majesté.
The former top candidate Pita Limjaroenrat and other leading members will not be allowed to hold political office for the next ten years. Move Forward had clearly won the parliamentary elections last year, but still failed to come to power.
Its charismatic former top candidate Pita was repeatedly rejected as a candidate for prime minister by senators with close ties to the military.
Party bans are nothing new
The main reason was the democratically aligned party's plan to change the extremely strict law on lèse majesté, which provides for up to 15 years in prison for violations.
After weeks of political turmoil, Pita was booted out by former ally Pheu Thai and its candidate Srettha Thavisin, who was elected head of government in August last year and has been in office since November.
Party bans are nothing new in Thailand: Move Forward's predecessor, Future Forward, was also banned in 2020. Members often simply form a new party afterwards.
