Court asked to dissolve Move Forward Party over campaigning to amend royal insult law

The Election Commission meeting on Tuesday agrees to ask the Constitutional Court to dissolve the Move Forward Party.

The decision came after the court’s ruling that found the party and its former leader Pita Limjaroenrat guilty for campaigning to amend the royal insult law.

The Constitutional Court on Jan 31 ruled that the Move Forward party’s plan to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code or the lese majeste law was tantamount to overthrow the democratic regime of the government with the King as the head of state. The party’s campaign promise to amend the royal insult law was unconstitutional.

The court ordered the Move Forward party and its former leader Pita Limjaroenrat to abandon the plan and to cease expressing opinions, speaking, writing, printing, advertising, and communicating through any means to advocate for the revocation of Section 112 of the Criminal Code.

The petition was filed by a lawyer Theerayut Suwankesorn, asking the court to rule whether the MFP election campaign last year under the leadership of Pita Limjaroenrat violated the Section 49 which prohibits people from using their right and freedom to overthrow the monarchy and whether the party should be ordered by the court to stop trying to amend Section 112.

The royal insult law carries penalties of up to 15 years for each offence under Section 112. (TNA)