CHIANG MAI: The Move Forward Party (MFP) is unfazed by the Election Commission’s (EC) attempts to push for its dissolution and is ready to defend itself against any allegations, according to its former leader Pita Limjaroenrat.
Mr Pita also insisted that his visit to Chiang Mai — at the same time Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and former premier Thaksin Shinawatra are visiting the northern province — was not intended as a political stunt.
Mr Pita said upon arriving in the province on Saturday that the MFP’s legal team has been preparing to fight the EC’s request for the Constitutional Court to dissolve the party due to its plan to rewrite Section 112 of the Criminal Code. The MFP is now gathering information to contest the case, he said.
Mr Pita said the legal team is also studying the Supreme Court’s ruling against its former MP Pannika Wanich, banned from politics for life after the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) found grounds to an allegation of severe ethical misconduct.
Forty-four MFP MPs are also facing accusations of severe ethical misconduct for proposing an amendment to Section 112. The case is being investigated by the NACC.
Mr Pita said the MFP is eager to argue its case. He said he hopes the court will put the pursuit of justice over a rigid adherence to Section 49 of the constitution. This prohibits any actions that undermine the constitutional monarchy.
“We are not worried if the court rules to dissolve the MFP as we have prepared for this ahead of time,” he said.
“Having won 14 million votes from our supporters, the MFP will keep moving forward no matter what happens.”
On Jan 31, the court said the MFP must cease attempts to amend the lese-majeste law, and that campaigning on the issue is considered an attempt to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.
The court found the party’s plan to amend the royal defamation law showed “an intent to separate the monarchy from the nation, which is dangerous to the security of the state”.
The court said Mr Pita and the party tried to change or revoke Section 112 when its 44 MPs submitted their bill on March 25, 2021.
According to the court, the bill was aimed at lowering the status of the royal institution because it required the Bureau of the Royal Household to file lese-majeste complaints. Consequently, the institution would be placed in direct opposition to the public in defamation cases.
That would be against the constitutional principle that elevates the royal institution above any political issues because it is a pillar of national security, the judges said.
As for Mr Pita’s trip to Chiang Mai being seen as him flexing his power, he said that was not the most pressing concern right now. “Quickly solving the dust haze problem is,” he said.