The Move Forward Party (MFP) on Tuesday submitted its written defence to the Constitutional Court in the dissolution case brought against the main opposition party by the Election Commission (EC), a source said.
The EC sought the MFP's dissolution after a Constitutional Court ruling on Jan 31, which said the party's push for changes to Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese majeste law, indicated an intention to undermine the constitutional monarchy. The EC said the court ruling presented grounds for dissolution.
The court accepted the EC's dissolution petition on April 3. The MFP's defence submission came on the last day allowed by the court. Three submission deadline extensions were previously granted at the party's request.
The same source said that the defence was proofread on Monday night before the party's legal team presented it to the court on Tuesday.
The main point in the written statement is that the party had no intention to undermine the democratic regime with the King as head of state as charged, while its actions found in the Jan 31 ruling to be hostile to the constitutional monarchy had not been complete, the source added.
Parit Wacharasindhu, MFP spokesman and party-list MP, said the MFP plans to hold a press conference on Sunday to disclose more details about what was submitted. The party would also clarify the legal basis on which it is fighting the case, he said.
Asked why the MFP chose Sunday when district-level voting in the Senate election is scheduled, he said it was the most convenient time.
