The Move Forward Party (MFP) will field actor Karoonpon “Petch” Tieansuwan in a by-election in Bangkok to fill the seat left vacant after the disqualification of Sira Jenjaka of the Palang Pracharath Party.
Executives of the opposition party voted unanimously on Friday to choose Mr Karoonpon for the vote due in January in Constituency 9, which covers Lak Si and Chatuchak districts, the party said on its Facebook page.
“The MFP wants to seek support from people (in Constituency 9) again because we believe that all elections are opportunities for change,” the party said in a statement.
“We will do our best to build up politics with the House of Representatives serving people, protecting the benefits of the public, not the benefits of a certain power group which comes to power not by elections,” it said, referring to the continuing dominance of the current government by the military figures who took part in the 2014 coup.
The Constitutional Court voted 7-2 on Wednesday to disqualify Mr Sira after finding that he had been sentenced to jail 26 years ago for fraud. The ruling took effect retroactively to March 24, 2019, the date of the most recent election.
The immediate effect of the ruling is that the PPRP, the main party in the governing coalition, loses one seat, leaving it with 116. A by-election to fill the seat must also be held within 45 days.
The party is still studying other possible implications of the ruling, such as whether it can be held responsible for approving the candidacy of someone who had a criminal record.
Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, leader of the opposition Seri Ruam Thai Party, filed a petition against Mr Sira in January with Parliament President Chuan Leekpai, who forwarded it to the Constitutional Court for a decision.