BANGKOK: Thailand’s largest opposition party has been re-established under a new name and new leadership following the dissolution of its predecessor party.
The newly renamed party, now called “Prachachon” or “People’s Party,” will be led by technology entrepreneur Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, party representative Parit Wacharasindhu announced in Bangkok on Friday.
The resurrection under a new name came after the Constitutional Court unanimously decided to dissolve the Move Forward Party (MFP) on Wednesday.
The court also imposed a 10-year political ban on party executive members, including Pita Limjaroenrat, the MFP leader who led the party to a surprise victory in last year’s parliamentary elections.
The MFP’s campaign, which appealed to young and urban voters with promises of reform of Thailand’s strict royal defamation law, was seen as an attempt to undermine the constitutional monarchy.
The decision to dissolve the MFP followed a ruling that its promise to amend the lese majeste law – laws that regulate defamation of the king – was seen as a threat to the monarchy. In Thailand, lese majeste lawsuits are taken very seriously due to the king’s revered status.
The court’s decision has been criticized by the European Union, the United States, the United Nations and various human rights groups, who argue that the decision undermines Thailand’s democratic principles.
