Survival or death-rebirth: Move Forward’s fate to be sealed on Aug 7
Opposition party remains confident after Constitutional Court schedules dissolution ruling in three weeks
Move Forward’s fate will be decided on August 7 when the Constitutional Court will determine whether the opposition party should be dissolved for pushing to amend the lese majeste law.
The Election Commission (EC) earlier petitioned the court to rule if Move Forward’s campaign to amend Article 112 of the Criminal Code amounted to an attempt to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.
Move Forward’s predecessor, Future Forward, faced two dissolution cases after scoring a stunning third place in its 2019 electoral debut when it won 81 of the 500 PM seats.
The first case, which saw the party accused of ties to the fabled "Illuminati", was dismissed in a unanimous ruling by the Constitutional Court. But the second case sealed Future Forward’s dissolution after the court ruled 7-2 that its leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit’s 192-million loan to the party constituted illegal funding.
Political bans for Thanathorn and other Future Forward leaders brought phase one of the “Orange Party" to an end. Phase two came with the formation of Move Forward, which scored the highest number of votes and seats at the 2023 election (151). But the party was forced into opposition when junta-appointed senators voted to block its prime ministerial candidate, Pita Limjaroenrat.
The current dissolution debate centres on whether the EC followed correct legal procedure. Move Forward leader Chaithawat Tulathon accuses the EC of skipping an internal investigation and "fast-tracking" the dissolution petition.
EC member Pakorn Mahannop insists the EC's petition is legally sound and stems from an earlier Constitutional Court ruling that ordered Move Forward to cease actions that undermined the democratic system with the King as head of state.
On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court ordered both parties to submit their closing statements by July 24 and said it would give its ruling on August 7.
This indicates that the court considers the legal issues resolved, making further investigation, as repeatedly requested by Move Forward, unnecessary. Any factual disputes will be considered on the morning of August 7, with a decision expected by that evening.
Move Forward does not seem overly concerned by potential dissolution, however. As the largest opposition party, it plays a crucial role in Parliament. On Wednesday, Chaithawat expressed confidence that the party would emerge from the case unscathed. He added that it had yet to make specific preparations for the ruling but would discuss plans before August 7, which coincides with a parliamentary session.
Chaithawat even chuckled when asked to comment on rumours his party’s days were numbered.
"They now say it might not be dissolved. Honestly, everything within the party is settled. We can manage, and we remain confident that even though the court will only rule on legal matters, we believe the law is on our side. If anyone saw the evidence I presented yesterday, which hasn't been published, they would be more confident," he said of Wednesday’s hearing.
However, Move Forward has prepared a "new vehicle" to continue its political journey if the court rules to dissolve the party. It has identified a third tier of leaders if the current leadership is slapped with political bans.
Whether Move Forward emerges victorious and returns stronger, or faces dissolution and resurrection as a new party, should be known by the evening of August 7.
