The Move Forward Party was renamed the People’s Party, the largest party in parliament, and has promised to push for reforms.
Thailand’s main opposition Move Forward Party (MFP) has relaunched under a new name and new leadership after being forced to dissolve by a court this week.
The new party will be led by technology entrepreneur Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut and will be known as Prachachon, party representative Parit Wacharasindhu told journalists in the capital Bangkok on Friday.
In English it is called the People’s Party.
“The reason for this name is that we want to be a party of the people, by the people and for the people, to move Thailand forward so that the people can be the supreme power,” said Parit.
The MFP, which won the most seats in last year’s elections, was prevented from forming a government and was ordered to dissolve in a unanimous decision by the Constitutional Court on Wednesday.
The board members were banned from political activity for ten years. While ten MFP members were expelled, 143 of the party’s politicians, who retained their seats in parliament, joined the new party.
The court said it had violated the constitution by announcing plans to change the country’s strict law against defamation of the royal family.
The European Union, the United States, the United Nations and human rights groups strongly criticized the court’s decision. The EU believes it harms Thailand’s democratic openness.
Natthaphong, 37, told a press conference that Prachachon would continue the MFP’s ideology.
“The mission for me and the party is to form a government for change in 2027,” he said, referring to the next national elections in Thailand.
The MFP’s liberal agenda has won it wide support among young and urban voters – but has also earned it some powerful enemies. Its plans include military reform and breaking up corporate monopolies worth billions of dollars each year.
Her attempt to change a law on royal insults angered influential generals and royalists with far-reaching connections who consider the monarchy sacrosanct.
Thailand’s lese majeste laws are among the strictest in the world. Any alleged insult to the crown can result in a prison sentence of up to 15 years.
Although the court ordered the MFP to abandon its campaign in a January ruling, Natthaphong said the new party would continue to campaign for changes to the law known as Article 112.
“We have said that we will propose an amendment to Article 112 to ensure that this law is not a political tool used to abuse others. But we will not be careless,” Natthaphong said.
The People’s Party is the third incarnation of the Future Forward Party, which was dissolved in 2020 over a campaign finance violation, sparking nationwide anti-government protests.
