Move Forward leader says 15-day extension by court not sign of imminent victory

“It is too soon to conclude that the party would be spared dissolution just because it has been given extra time,” Chaithawat, leader of the main opposition party that won the most MP seats in the 2023 general election, said.

“After all, it is normal for the court to grant extra time to the defendant to prepare for the hearings,” he added.

On April 3, the charter court resolved to proceed with a judicial review of the case filed by the Election Commission, which accused Move Forward of violating the Political Parties Act and trying to overthrow the monarchy through its campaign to amend Article 112 of the Criminal Code, or the lese majeste law.

The offence carries the maximum punishment of dissolution of the party and a ban on its executives from politics for up to 10 years.

The court had initially given the party 15 days, until April 18, to submit its defence but Move Forward asked for a 30-day extension. The court, however, gave the party only an extra 15 days until May 3.

Chaithawat informed the party on Tuesday that he had written to the court asking for a second deadline extension of another 30 days beyond May 3, arguing it needed the time to add a lot details to its written defence, including facts and legal technicalities. The court on Wednesday gave the party another 15 days, until May 18.

Chaithawat on Thursday commented that the extra 15 days granted by the court was too short an extension period to prepare for such a complicated case. He cited the case of the party’s former leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, who was accused of violating election laws by holding shares of iTV, a media company, being twice granted extensions of 30 days each.

“The iTV case is far less serious than the dissolution case that the party is facing,” Chaithawat pointed out.

The Constitutional Court in January reinstated Pita as Move Forward MP after it ruled that iTV Plc had not been a media firm since March 7, 2007.