Thai court orders dissolution of anti-establishment election winner

By Chayut Setboonsarng and Panu Wongcha-um

BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand's Constitutional Court on Wednesday ordered the dissolution of the anti-establishment opposition party Move Forward, ruling its campaign to amend a law that protects the monarchy from criticism risked undermining the democratic system.

The disbandment of Move Forward, which won most seats in the 2023 election, is the latest setback for Thailand's major political parties that are embroiled in a two-decade battle for power against a nexus of influential conservatives, old money families and the royalist military.

The decision, which included 10-year political bans for 11 party executives, comes six months after the same court ordered Move Forward to drop its plan to reform a law on royal insults, ruling it was unconstitutional and tantamount to undermining the system of governance with the king as head of state.

In a unanimous ruling that cited the court's January decision, the judges said Move Forward had improperly used the monarchy to gain an election advantage, putting the palace in conflict with the people.

"The action of the accused is therefore an action that may antagonize the democratic system with the king as the head of state," they said in the ruling.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been on the throne for seven years. The monarch is enshrined in the constitution as being in a position of "revered worship" and the palace is seen by royalists as sacrosanct. Perceived insults of the monarchy are punishable by up to 15 years in jail.

Move Forward has repeatedly denied seeking to undermine the royal family. The party had no immediate comment on the ruling and was due to give a press conference later on Wednesday.

BACKUP PLAN

Though the dissolution is likely to anger millions of young and urban voters who backed Move Forward and its progressive agenda, the impact of the ruling is expected to be limited.

The party's surviving 143 lawmakers will keep their seats in parliament and are expected to reorganise under a new party, as they did in 2020, when predecessor Future Forward was disbanded over a campaign funding violation.

Move Forward's influential rivals coalesced to block the party from forming a government last year but the progressive movement remains a political force and a threat to the status quo, bent on pursuing a platform that includes military reform and undoing big business monopolies.

It is not yet out of the woods, however, with 44 of its current and former politicians, including 26 legislators, the subject of a complaint to an anti-graft body by conservative activists seeking lifetime political bans over the campaign to change the royal insults law.

Some supporters called for protests against the decision. At Move Forward's headquarters, its loyalists expressed both disappointment and disbelief at the ruling.

"It feels like we have hit rock bottom, truly hit rock bottom," said Sirinapa Veillet, 58. "It feels like we have no support left, none at all," she said of Thailand's democratic institutions.

Amnesty International in a statement called the ruling an "untenable decision" and said authorities were relentlessly harassing the political opposition.

Move Forward's disbandment comes at critical juncture in Thai politics, with cracks appearing also in an uneasy truce between the military-backed establishment and another longtime rival, the populist ruling party, Pheu Thai.

Pheu Thai has suffered most in Thailand's intractable crisis, with four of its prime ministers toppled by coups and court rulings and three previous incarnations dissolved by courts, leading to at times violent street demonstrations.

The Constitutional Court will next week decide on a case brought by 40 conservative former senators seeking to dismiss Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin over his appointment to cabinet of a lawyer who served time in jail. Srettha denies wrongdoing.

Tycoon Srettha's case is among factors that have heightened political uncertainty, with the prospect of political upheaval if he is removed.

A new premier would need to be voted on by parliament, potentially pitting Pheu Thai against coalition partners and leading to a shakeup of the governing alliance and realignment of cabinet and policies.

(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat, Chayut Setboonsarng, Panu Wongcha-um and Napat Wesshasartar; Editing by Martin Petty and Angus MacSwan)