The Move Forward Party (MFP) may be facing the prospect of disbandment as prominent activists have petitioned the Election Commission (EC) to initiate dissolution proceedings against it due to the party's stance on royal insult laws.
Political activist Ruangkrai Leekitwattana filed a petition with the EC on Thursday, asking it to pursue a dissolution case against the main opposition party.
The petition comes after the Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday that the MFP's continuous efforts to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese-majeste law, indicated an intention to undermine the constitutional monarchy.
Mr Ruangkrai said he based his petition on Section 92 of the organic law on political parties.
This states that if the EC has evidence pointing to a political party's attempt to overthrow the constitutional monarchy, it must petition the Constitutional Court to consider dissolving that party and banning its executives from applying to run in elections for 10 years.
"The court's ruling is legally binding on all agencies. The EC must carry out its duty," Mr Ruangkrai said.
The court's ruling on Wednesday supported the allegation Move Forward was attempting to end the constitutional monarchy through its proposal to amend the lese-majeste law.
Mr Ruangkrai said he also asked the EC to seek the court's ruling on whether MFP executives should be banned from running in elections due to the same alleged wrongdoing. He said he would file a related petition with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
The former senator said he was gathering evidence and would decide whether to file a similar petition against the ruling Pheu Thai Party.
Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin referred to amending Section 112 during their election campaigns last year, Mr Ruangkrai said.
The EC also received a similar petition yesterday from lawyer Theerayut Suwankesorn. Mr Theerayut asked the Constitutional Court last year to halt the MFP's attempts to amend Section 112.
He said Wednesday's ruling obliged the EC to take action against the MFP.
The lawyer also said he would ask the NACC today to investigate claims of a serious ethical violation by former Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat and 43 other Move Forward MPs who submitted the bill to amend Section 112.
MPs are required by law to meet certain ethical standards, including the safeguarding of the royal institution.
Failure to do so is considered a serious ethical violation, resulting in the restriction of the wrongdoers' rights to participate in any election and the suspension of their electoral rights for a period of 10 years.
Sonthiya Sawasdee, a former adviser to the House committee on legal affairs, said he would file a similar petition asking the NACC to launch a probe into the ethical conduct of the 44 MFP lawmakers.
Responding to Mr Ruangkrai's threat to file a party dissolution case against Pheu Thai, Sorawong Thienthong, Pheu Thai's secretary-general, said yesterday Mr Srettha had only responded to reporters' questions about a proposed amendment to Section 112 when he was a prime ministerial candidate.
Mr Sorawong insisted that amending Section 112 had not been one of the party's campaign policies, and it had focused mainly on bread-and-butter issues affecting people's everyday lives.
Describing Section 112 as a delicate issue, he said: "We have to uphold the monarchy and avoid doing anything inappropriate."
Teerajchai Phunthumas, an MFP MP for Bangkok and an opposition whip, said the party would study the full text of the Constitutional Court's ruling before taking any action.
"If a dissolution case is brought against the party, we are ready to fight," he said.
On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court ordered the MFP to cease all attempts to amend Section 112.
It said campaigning on the issue is considered an attempt to end the constitutional democracy with the King as head of state in violation of Section 49 of the constitution.
The court said Mr Pita and the party tried to either change or revoke Section 112 when its 44 MPs submitted a bill to amend Section 112 on March 25, 2021.
