Dissolution petition targets Thaksin and Pheu Thai
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Dissolution petition targets Thaksin and Pheu Thai

Lawyer whose suit led to Move Forward Party disbandment presents case in 5,000-page document

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Thaksin Shinawatra is surrounded by supporters as he visits the Pheu Thai Party headquarters in Bangkok in March. (File photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)
Thaksin Shinawatra is surrounded by supporters as he visits the Pheu Thai Party headquarters in Bangkok in March. (File photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)

The lawyer who successfully sought the disbandment of the Move Forward Party has asked the Constitutional Court to stop former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from threatening the constitutional monarchy by influencing the coalition-core Pheu Thai Party.

In a 5,080-page petition filed at the court on Thursday, Therayut Suwankesorn targets both Thaksin and the party now led by his daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

Among the many allegations the petition makes is that Thaksin used the Ministry of Justice under the Pheu Thai-led government to secure his extended stay at Police General Hospital when he should have been in jail following his conviction for abuse of power last year.

Mr Therayut also accused Thaksin of pushing the government to share marine resources in Thai waters with Cambodia in line with a memorandum of understanding signed in 2001 when he was prime minister. In fact, the marine boundary between the two countries remains in dispute, though Pheu Thai is seeking to revive negotiations.

As well, the petition contends, Thaksin ordered Pheu Thai to join forces with the People’s Party to push for constitutional amendments. The latter is the reincarnation of the Move Forward Party, which the Constitutional Court earlier found guilty of jeopardising the constitutional monarchy, Mr Therayut points out.

Thaksin also stands accused of hosting talks at his home with coalition parties about a successor to former prime minister Srettha Thavisin on Aug 14. The Constitutional Court dismissed Mr Srettha for an ethics violation on the same day.

In addition, the petition accuses Thaksin of ordering Pheu Thai to exclude the Palang Pracharath Party from the coalition government.

He also said that the government policy statement delivered by Ms Paetongtarn in parliament on Sept 12 echoed the much-hyped “vision” that Thaksin outlined in a dinner talk on Aug 22.

Given all the accusations, the lawyer said he considered Thaksin and Pheu Thai as threatening the honour of the royal institution and the political party system of the country.

He asked the court to stop Thaksin from controlling and using Pheu Thai to gain authority over the national administration. He also asked the court to order Pheu Thai to stop being Thaksin’s tool.

In addition to filing the petition that brought down Move Forward, Mr Therayut is known for his defence of Suwit Thongprasert, formerly known as Phra Buddha Isara. The activist monk was a key figure in the Bangkok Shutdown protests that led to the 2014 military coup.

Mr Therayut admitted to reporters that he had sought consultation on the petition from Paiboon Nititawan, secretary-general of the Palang Pracharath Party.

Mr Paiboon said on Thursday that the lawyer had discussed the matter with him but the party had nothing to do with the petition.

Former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said the content and timing of the petition suggested some kind of collaboration with Palang Pracharath. He speculated it was a response to its exclusion from the coalition government because Thaksin was unhappy with “the uncle”.

The reference was to Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, the Palang Pracharath leader and a key architect of the coup that ousted the government headed by Thaksin’s sister Yingluck in 2014.

Gen Prawit has been the target of complaints from a former Pheu Thai spokesman about his frequent absences from parliament, to the point where he agreed to return his MP’s salary and allowances.

Lawyer Therayut Suwankesorn contends that Thaksin Shinawatra’s continuing influence over the Pheu Thai Party is a threat to the country’s system of government. (Screenshot)

Lawyer Therayut Suwankesorn contends that Thaksin Shinawatra’s continuing influence over the Pheu Thai Party is a threat to the country’s system of government. (Screenshot)

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