The Constitutional Court has dismissed the opposition Move Forward Party’s request for an inquiry.
The court says that it has sufficient evidence to make a ruling in the case, in which the Election Commission has sought the dissolution of the party and 10-year political debarment of its executive committee for the party’s election campaign for amendment of the lèse majesté law.
The court is, however, to give the Move Forward Party and the Election Commission an opportunity to present closing statements on July 24.
A final ruling will be delivered by the court on August 7 at 3pm.
The Move Forward Party is claiming that the hasty manner in which the EC sought the party’s dissolution, without providing a chance for the party to present its rebuttal, is illegitimate. The party also claims that the EC’s reference to the court’s ruling of January 31, as a basis for its call for the party’s dissolution, cannot be applied to the extant case.
On January 31, the court ordered the Move Forward Party, and its then leader Pita Limjaroenrat, to cease all activities seeking to amend the lèse majesté law. It equated such activities to an exercise of rights and liberties to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.
