BANGKOK: Thailand’s main opposition Move Forward Party (MFP) will choose a new leader on Thursday, according to a senior official, before of its relaunch under a new name following a court-mandated dissolution.
On Wednesday, Thailand’s Constitutional Court unanimously voted to dissolve the MFP, a key player in the country’s pro-democracy movement, and imposed a 10-year ban on its executive board members from engaging in politics.
This includes Pita Limjaroenrat, who led the MFP to a surprising victory in last year’s general election by appealing to young and urban voters with promises to reform Thailand’s stringent royal defamation laws.
MFP deputy leader Sirikanya Tansakul, who is expected to succeed Pita, announced that an internal meeting of 143 members would be held to elect a new leader and committee. “We are moving to a new home,” she said, referring to the party’s rebranding efforts.
Pita’s bid to become prime minister was thwarted by conservative forces in the Senate, resulting in a coalition of army-linked parties taking office under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
The European Union, the United States, the United Nations, and human rights organizations condemned the court’s decision, with the EU criticizing it as a setback for democratic openness in Thailand.
The MFP announced shortly after the ruling that it would relaunch under a new name on Friday. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, former leader of the MFP’s predecessor, the Future Forward Party (FFP), which was also dissolved by the Constitutional Court in 2020, expressed optimism about the new party’s potential to become stronger.
“We aim to build a mass party with active public participation in politics,” he stated on social media. “A strong mass party is the only tool the people have to drive change,” he added, noting that the party’s focus would be on the 2027 elections.
Thailand, known for its chronic political instability with numerous coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, is awaiting another significant court decision next Wednesday regarding accusations that Prime Minister Srettha violated ethical rules by appointing a minister with a criminal record. An unfavorable ruling could lead to Srettha’s removal from office.
Thai media have speculated that Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, may be a potential successor to Srettha.
