Future Forward secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul is confident that his party will not be dissolved by the Constitutional Court and he warned that the country may face three adverse consequences if it is.
Chairman of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, Jatuporn Promphan, said he believes, however, that the Future Forward party will be dissolved when the Constitutional Court delivers its ruling on January 21st on the party and its leadership, who are charged with sedition.
Piyabutr pointed out that Section 49 of the Constitution, which was cited in the accusations filed by Mr. Nathaporn Toprayoon, a former advisor to the ombudsman, did not empower the court to disband a party found to have misused free expression to overthrow a democratic system.
He accused Nathaporn of having an ulterior motive by mixing the sedition charge against the party with the campaign, some years back, for the amendment of the lèse majesté law by the Nitirat group, of which he was a member, Thanathorn’s previous speeches and their joint investment in the publication of the Fah Daew Gun (One Sky) left-wing magazine.
If the Future Forward party actually intends to overthrow the constitutional monarchy, Piyabutr asked why the Election Commission allowed the party to contest the March 24th election and why 6.3 million people voted for the party.
He said that the junta and its supporters were afraid that they would not have “standing room” in the Thai political landscape if the Future Forward party was allowed to persist and, hence, they want the party eliminated.
If Future Forward is dissolved by the charter court, Piyabutr claimed that the political the divide would widen between the old and new generations, leading to clash of ideologies, which would bode ill for the country.
The party’s dissolution may convince people that the Monarchy has been used as a tool for political destruction, and this may force some groups to turn against the highest institution in the land.
Another adverse consequence of a dissolution, said Piyabutr, is that the younger generation would be confused as to what kind of politics this country wants, if a party like Future Forward, which has rejected money politics and has played by the rules, is banished by the court.
UDD chief Jatuporn said several parties have been disbanded by the charter court, ranging from Thai Rak Thai, Palang Prachachon and Chart Thai to Matchimatippatai.
Dissolution of parties is an unusual situation in Thailand which should not happen, because new parties are formed by politicians from the disbanded parties, he said.
