Thai election officials yesterday asked the country’s top court to suspend Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat, the front-runner in the race to become prime minister, over allegations he broke campaign rules as a lawmaker.
The recommendation is the latest hurdle thrown into the path of the progressive candidate, whose MFP scored the most votes in May’s election by tapping into Thais’ appetite for change.
The Thai Election Commission’s referral to the Thai Constitutional Court was announced just a day before parliament was due to vote on a new prime minister.
Photo: AFP
While popular among voters, Pita’s bid to be prime minister faces stiff opposition over his plans to amend Thailand’s royal defamation laws, which protect King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his family.
Pita’s supporters, many of them younger voters opposed to the royalist military’s involvement in politics, called for protests later yesterday, raising the possibility of another round of turmoil in two decades of fractious Thai politics.
Following the commission’s announcement, MFP secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon said the party still wanted the vote to go ahead.
“Tomorrow is a day of crossroads to see if we will continue to disregard the people’s politics, or ... return to normal democracy and move Thailand forward,” he said. “I believe people will not accept it any more.”
Pita told reporters at parliament after the announcement that he was in “good spirits,” adding that “the process tomorrow continues as planned.”
Yet he was struck by a fresh hurdle later yesterday afternoon when the Constitutional Court accepted a separate case centered on the promise of royal defamation law reform.
The court was asked to “consider whether the actions of [Pita and the MFP] ... who have proposed the amendment of 112 in their political campaign, are using their right and freedom to overthrow the constitutional monarchy,” referring to the number of the criminal code article that deals with lese majeste.
The commission’s investigation into Pita centered on his ownership of shares in a now-defunct media company. Legislators are not allowed to own media shares.
“The Election Commission has considered the issue ... and perceives that the status of Pita Limjaroenrat is considered to be voided, according to the Thai Constitution,” the commission said in a statement yesterday.
Even if the constitutional court suspends Pita as a lawmaker, he can still stand for prime minister in the vote today, but if he were to face a criminal investigation, he could be barred from politics or face up to 10 years in prison.
Pita says he inherited the shares in the iTV television station, which has not broadcast since 2007, from his father, and has denied any wrongdoing.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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