Group urges court to ‘save democracy’, drop cases against Pita, Move Forward
The group “24 June Democracy” visited the Constitutional Court’s office in Lak Si district on Tuesday to push for the dismissal of cases against Move Forward Party and its leader Pita Limjaroenrat.
Police officers were at hand to block the group and allowed only 10 representatives to enter the premises.
Activist Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, a leader of “24 June Democracy”, said the group wanted to express its opposition to the Election Commission (EC)’s decision to seek Pita’s disqualification as MP. EC wants Pita disqualified because he held 42,000 shares of the now-defunct media firm, iTV Plc, when he filed papers to run in the May 14 election.
In submitting the petition, the EC cited the Constitution’s Section 82 paragraph 4, which says: “In a case where the Election Commission is of the opinion that the membership of any member of the House of Representatives or any senator has terminated under paragraph one, it may also refer the matter to the Constitutional Court for a decision.”
The EC also asked the court to deliberate on whether Move Forward’s plan to amend Article 112 of the Penal Code or lese majeste law, can be seen as undermining the monarchy and Thailand’s stability.
If the court were to take up the second case, it could lead to the party’s dissolution.
The court is scheduled to deliberate on both issues on Wednesday, also the day when both Houses of Parliament will hold a second voting session to elect the country’s 30th prime minister.
Pita failed to win the 375 votes required in the first round of voting last Thursday. The Move Forward-led eight-party coalition on Monday reaffirmed its stance to renominate Pita as prime minister candidate.
Somyot said EC’s actions were “suspicious” and were “trying to block the democratic process” of a winning party being able to form a government.
“In most democracies, a new government can be formed within a week of the general election. But in Thailand, it has been more than two months and we are still nowhere near getting a new PM,” he said. “The iTV shares are clearly a political ploy to stop Pita from becoming PM. Both EC and the Senate must be colluding with coup leaders to undermine the democratic process.”
Somyot has served 11 years in jail over lese majeste charges during the reign of King Rama IX. The “24 June Democracy” group was named after the June 24, 1932, Siamese Revolution, which saw the bloodless transition of the country into a constitutional democracy. It also saw Thailand, then Siam, become a democracy with its first constitution.
