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BANGKOK: The Constitutional Court of Thailand suspended the reformists Beta Limgarwinrat on Wednesday, in another blow to his hopes of becoming the nation’s next leader after his stunning election victory.
Pita’s Move Forward party won the most seats in the May polls, thanks to young and urban Thais frustrated by nearly a decade of military-backed rule, but its efforts to form a government have stalled since the May elections.
The court suspended it while Pete was sitting in parliament for another day of deliberations over whether to become prime minister, after his first attempt failed by dozens of votes in a parliamentary session last week.
“I’d like to say goodbye until we meet again,” the 42-year-old said in front of the room, raising his fist as he left the meeting room to cheers from his fellow lawmakers.
Thailand’s conservative establishment fiercely opposes the party’s economic reform program and its pledge to relax the kingdom’s strict royal defamation laws.
The court said on Wednesday morning that it would proceed with a case that could lead to the exclusion of Peta from parliament altogether for owning shares in a media company, forcing him to suspend his work.
Lawmakers are prohibited from owning shares in media companies under the Thai constitution, although the television station in question has not broadcast since 2007.
The Harvard-educated Peta, who is wealthy from a family-run agri-food company, said the shares were inherited from his father. He has 15 days to respond to the case.
Dozens of supporters wept and chanted in the large cordon of riot police guarding the gates to Parliament after news of the suspension of PETA broke.
The demonstrators announced plans to hold a public gathering near the Democracy Monument in downtown Bangkok on Wednesday evening, and police said they were preparing for any disturbances.
“Regardless of their opinions, they have to follow the rules and orders set by the police,” said Archieon Kraithong, a spokesman for the Royal Thai Police.
Pita said earlier that he was unlikely to get enough support to succeed in the second ballot for the premiership, which is scheduled for Wednesday.
“It has become clear that the people’s vote is not enough to rule the country,” he said in a post on his official Instagram account.
He added that his candidacy “must be approved by the senators, and it probably won’t be enough for a second nomination for prime minister.”
He remained in the room for several hours after the court order was issued and was not directed to leave.
PETA remains eligible to run for prime minister, but will not be able to participate in any vote.
Thailand’s Senate is full of military appointees, with only 13 of the 249 senators voting in favor of PETA last week, and those who refused to support it are unlikely to change their minds.
Other barriers were thrown to PETA’s candidacy.
The court also agreed to hear a case alleging that the MFP campaign’s promise to amend Thailand’s royal defamation law amounted to a plan to “overthrow” the constitutional monarchy.
The PETA party has ignored staunch opposition to its pledge to review the law, which could allow convicted critics of the monarchy to be imprisoned for up to 15 years.
The MFP’s reform platform also poses a threat to the family-owned monopolistic businesses that play a huge role in the kingdom’s economy.
The Constitutional Court has interfered in Thai politics before.
The billionaire leader of the former MFP, Thanthorn Juangroongruangkit, was disqualified as a Member of Parliament in 2019 after he ran afoul of the same contribution rule.
Pita pledged to step down to make room for a coalition partner to form a government if his second attempt failed.
The coalition backing him is expected to get in line behind real estate tycoon Sritha Thavisin, which could alienate the multinational movement to serve in the opposition.
Sritha’s Pheu Thai Party is seen as a vehicle for the Shinawatra political clan, whose membership includes two former prime ministers who were overthrown in a military coup in 2006 and 2014.
But as a successful entrepreneur who likes fellow business leaders, the 60-year-old is seen as a potential compromise acceptable to the Thai elite.
Prawit Wongsuwan, 77, a former Thai army chief who served as number two in the military junta that took power in 2014, has also been nominated as a candidate by the military bloc in parliament.
Thai voters strongly rejected military-backed parties in the May elections, and political analyst Thitinan Pongsuderak said the prospect of a military presence in the next government could spark a backlash in a country no stranger to political turmoil.
Pita’s Move Forward party won the most seats in the May polls, thanks to young and urban Thais frustrated by nearly a decade of military-backed rule, but its efforts to form a government have stalled since the May elections.
The court suspended it while Pete was sitting in parliament for another day of deliberations over whether to become prime minister, after his first attempt failed by dozens of votes in a parliamentary session last week.
“I’d like to say goodbye until we meet again,” the 42-year-old said in front of the room, raising his fist as he left the meeting room to cheers from his fellow lawmakers.
Thailand’s conservative establishment fiercely opposes the party’s economic reform program and its pledge to relax the kingdom’s strict royal defamation laws.
The court said on Wednesday morning that it would proceed with a case that could lead to the exclusion of Peta from parliament altogether for owning shares in a media company, forcing him to suspend his work.
Lawmakers are prohibited from owning shares in media companies under the Thai constitution, although the television station in question has not broadcast since 2007.
The Harvard-educated Peta, who is wealthy from a family-run agri-food company, said the shares were inherited from his father. He has 15 days to respond to the case.
Dozens of supporters wept and chanted in the large cordon of riot police guarding the gates to Parliament after news of the suspension of PETA broke.
The demonstrators announced plans to hold a public gathering near the Democracy Monument in downtown Bangkok on Wednesday evening, and police said they were preparing for any disturbances.
“Regardless of their opinions, they have to follow the rules and orders set by the police,” said Archieon Kraithong, a spokesman for the Royal Thai Police.
Pita said earlier that he was unlikely to get enough support to succeed in the second ballot for the premiership, which is scheduled for Wednesday.
“It has become clear that the people’s vote is not enough to rule the country,” he said in a post on his official Instagram account.
He added that his candidacy “must be approved by the senators, and it probably won’t be enough for a second nomination for prime minister.”
He remained in the room for several hours after the court order was issued and was not directed to leave.
PETA remains eligible to run for prime minister, but will not be able to participate in any vote.
Thailand’s Senate is full of military appointees, with only 13 of the 249 senators voting in favor of PETA last week, and those who refused to support it are unlikely to change their minds.
Other barriers were thrown to PETA’s candidacy.
The court also agreed to hear a case alleging that the MFP campaign’s promise to amend Thailand’s royal defamation law amounted to a plan to “overthrow” the constitutional monarchy.
The PETA party has ignored staunch opposition to its pledge to review the law, which could allow convicted critics of the monarchy to be imprisoned for up to 15 years.
The MFP’s reform platform also poses a threat to the family-owned monopolistic businesses that play a huge role in the kingdom’s economy.
The Constitutional Court has interfered in Thai politics before.
The billionaire leader of the former MFP, Thanthorn Juangroongruangkit, was disqualified as a Member of Parliament in 2019 after he ran afoul of the same contribution rule.
Pita pledged to step down to make room for a coalition partner to form a government if his second attempt failed.
The coalition backing him is expected to get in line behind real estate tycoon Sritha Thavisin, which could alienate the multinational movement to serve in the opposition.
Sritha’s Pheu Thai Party is seen as a vehicle for the Shinawatra political clan, whose membership includes two former prime ministers who were overthrown in a military coup in 2006 and 2014.
But as a successful entrepreneur who likes fellow business leaders, the 60-year-old is seen as a potential compromise acceptable to the Thai elite.
Prawit Wongsuwan, 77, a former Thai army chief who served as number two in the military junta that took power in 2014, has also been nominated as a candidate by the military bloc in parliament.
Thai voters strongly rejected military-backed parties in the May elections, and political analyst Thitinan Pongsuderak said the prospect of a military presence in the next government could spark a backlash in a country no stranger to political turmoil.
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