Move Forward the Opposition

[S Landreth]

The Pheu Thai coalition cabinet ministers will take the oath of allegiance before His Majesty the King later this afternoon, leaving the Move Forward Party as the opposition.

I’ll update this thread from time to time to show how the opposition is doing.

For example.........

• House fiasco opens early rift between government and opposition

The House meeting to debate the falling prices of agricultural products on Thursday was brought to a premature end as a result of, what government legislators described as, a “political game” by Move Forward, the main opposition party.

It was the first meeting of Thailand’s current House of Representatives and it had to be adjourned due to a lack of a quorum, which sparked a fierce war of words between legislators on both sides of the aisle.

The House meeting was in the process of debating a motion addressing the plights of the agricultural sector, but Move Forward wanted the proposal for a referendum on constitutional amendment to be taken up instead.

After a heated back and forth, Move Forward asked for a quorum check, which found that most government MPs were absent, forcing House Speaker Wan Mohamad Noor Matha to order the meeting adjourned.

“It was a political game by a cry baby,” said Bhumjaithai Party MP Paradorn Prissananantakul, in the aftermath of the adjournment of the meeting, which saw the first open hostility between government and opposition.

In a press briefing afterwards, Paradorn was joined by other government MPs in lambasting Move Forward for the political fiasco.

One government MP described the incident as the “flexing of political muscle” by Move Forward, while another threatened retaliation, which could result in its future legislative agenda being blocked.

“We know that calling for a quorum check is the most effective political weapon for the opposition, but I didn’t expect it to be deployed at such an early stage of the House session,” said Adisorn Piengket, a veteran Pheu Thai MP, who warned Move Forward of potential political retaliation.

Paradorn accused Move Forward MPs of engaging in “gesture politics” and ignoring the plights of the agricultural sector.

Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, an outspoken Move Forward MP, hit back by accusing government MPs of hypocrisy. “They said they care about the people’s plights, but look at how many of them were (not) in the chamber,” he said, referring to the absence of most of the government’s MPs.

Move Forward MPs have tried to convince the House to prioritise the proposal for a referendum to amend the Constitution. They were unsuccessful during the House meeting on Wednesday and tried again on Thursday but were pre-empted by government MPs who argued that the motion on falling prices of agricultural products was more urgent.

Overhauling the Constitution was a major election campaign pledge by Move Forward.

[Looper]

I’ll update this thread from time to time

How often is 'from time to time' Landreth?

[Bettyboo]

If the plight of the agriculture sector is so important (and it is) then why weren't the government MPs there to take part - that is their job...

[mikenot]

^ Because the rural representatives of the government are a minority and unimportant now. PT MPs are a minority compared to the junta parties, and even many of PT are only interested in big business....look at the PM. The only part of the agricultural sector that is important now are CP Foods etc, not the rice farmers

[S Landreth]

How often is 'from time to time' Landreth?

Depends on what policies are adopted and what are not and the reason why.

If passed they’ll show up in the “Thai PM Srettha Thavisin receives royal endorsement” thread and if not “reason why” they’ll show up here.

[S Landreth]

• Opposition gets 14 hours to scrutinise government policies at Parliament meeting

The opposition has been allocated 14 hours for its response when the new Cabinet delivers the government’s policy statement to Parliament next Monday and Tuesday (Sept 11-12).

Parliament President Wan Muhamad Noor Matha said on Thursday that a joint meeting of representatives from the government, the opposition, and senators agreed that total of 29 hours would be shared among the parties involved during the two days of the meeting.

It was agreed that of the 29 hours, Cabinet members would get five hours to deliver their policy statement, MPs from ruling coalition parties and senators would also get five hours each, and 14 hours would go to opposition MPs to scrutinise the government policies.

An extra hour was allocated for the meeting of chairpersons to maintain order and rules, according to Wan Noor, who also doubles as the speaker of the House of Representatives.

He said on Thursday that the meeting would start at 9am and end before midnight on Tuesday as the Cabinet members were scheduled to have their first official meeting on Wednesday (Sept 13) morning.

As per the Constitution, a new Cabinet must be sworn in before His Majesty the King and deliver its policy statement before Parliament to officially take up their duties.


Wan Noor said on Thursday that there would be no extra security measures in the Parliament complex during the upcoming meeting on the government’s policy statement. He believed there would be no protesters and that the meeting would continue without any serious event.

He said that the public could follow the proceedings through live broadcasts via many television stations and media outlets.

Meanwhile, senior Pheu Thai MP Adisorn Piengkes, who has assumed the role of chief coalition whip, said on Thursday that he was confident opposition MPs would not turn the upcoming meeting into a censure debate against the new Cabinet. He said their representatives at Thursday’s meeting had promised that opposition MPs would focus on scrutinising the government’s policies based on their feasibility and budget.

[S Landreth]

MFP will get some help

• Thai Sang Thai vows to monitor Srettha government closely

The Thai Sang Thai party has declared that, in opposition, it will do its duty to debate and examine the details of government policies, with the full intention to protect the people and the country as part of the check and balance system.

The new government will deliver its policy statement to parliament on Monday and the ensuing debate will last two days. After the session, the government will be able to function officially, as the Cabinet took the oath of office before the King last week.

Thai Sang Thai’s announcement, released on Saturday, states that, despite having only six MPs, the party promises that they are of high quality and hardworking.

Thai Sang Thai was a member of the failed coalition led by the Move Forward party, which attempted to form a government after the May general election. Their hopes were, however, dashed, because Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat did not win enough support from parliament to form the government.

The subsequent Pheu Thai-led government coalition did not include Thai Sang Thai or Move Forward.

In its announcement, Thai Sang Thai promised that it will not unreasonably oppose government policies or create division in the country. If the government works honestly, Thai Sang Thai said it is ready to cooperate and support its agenda.

If the government is corrupt, however, it will scrutinise fearlessly, the party said.

Meanwhile, Move Forward’s spokesman Rangsiman Rome said the debate on government policies on Monday and Tuesday will be divided into two parts; the economy and politics.

“From what I know, 30 Move Forward MPs will take part in the debate.”

He also commented that the policy statement clearly shows that the government is not ready to work, because it does not go into detail of what the government will do during the four-year term.

“Frankly speaking, Srettha’s policy statement is of a lower standard than previous governments, even that of former PM Prayut Chan-o-cha,” Rangsiman claimed.

Many of Pheu Thai’s election manifesto promises are not even included in the statement, he added.

While the policy debate will not turn into a censure debate against the Srettha government, Rangsiman predicted that it will be tense and could result in many protests in the House.

[S Landreth]

Opposition eager for Round 1

The opposition, which is made up of the Move Forward Party (MFP), the Democrat Party, the Thai Sang Thai (TST) Party and the Fair Party, were whetting their knives as they outlined issues to scrutinize the government over.

________

Move Forward retains Rayong seat in by-election

Move Forward Party candidate Pongsathorn Sornpetnarin had a clear victory in the Rayong by-election on Sunday, with increased support for the party, according to unofficial results.

[S Landreth]

• Move Forward accuse government of reneging on election promises

Many Pheu Thai election manifesto promises were missing from the policy statement delivered by PM Srettha Thavisin to parliament, said Move Forward MP deputy leader Sirikanya Tansakul on Monday.

“The policies lack specifics and commitments, as well failing to provide timelines for implementation,” Sirikanya said.

She was speaking in parliament after Srettha delivered his administration’s policy statement. Sirikanya was the first MP to take the floor to criticise it.

“Only concrete and tangible promises would be indicators of the government’s responsibilities to the people. Monitoring and following up on what has been promised is an important democratic principle,” she said.

Listening to the policy statement delivered by Srettha, however, informed the public of nothing of what his government would do in the next four years, Sirikanya claimed, adding “The policies are empty, say nothing about the country’s direction and provide no details at all.”

She compared the policies to a GPS for the country, adding “but the policies delivered today should be compared to a directionless GPS. With such a GPS, Thailand and its people will surely get lost.”

Sirikanya claimed Srettha’s policy statements were written as if he is making a wish list.

Srettha is a former CEO of a leading private company, so Sirikanya said that she had expected his experience to be reflected in the policies.

Srettha set no clear goals for the country, unlike when he was CEO of the Sansiri real estate company, when he set a clear goal to increase income to Bt150 billion within three years, she said.

Moreover, his policy statement did not touch on difficult subjects, like the violence in the south, probably out of fear that it would become promises and commitments, she jibed.

She also asked for details of the Bt10,000 “Digital Wallet” scheme, which Pheu Thai has promised, wondering where the government would obtain the Bt560 billion required to fund the scheme.

[S Landreth]

• Move Forward MP says government overestimating benefit of digital wallet scheme

Move Forward party-list MP Chaiwat Sathawornwichit has claimed that the government has over-estimated the benefits of the “digital wallet” scheme in boosting the economy, as the timing is not right for its implementation.

During his speech in parliament today (Monday), he said populist schemes, such as the digital wallet, should be implemented at a time when the economy is contracting, not when it is expanding, as it is now in Thailand, although the expansion is minimal.

Like the application of an electric shock to a patient having a heart attack, Chaiwat said that the government’s plan to use the digital wallet to kick-start the economy is like applying an electric shock to a healthy person, the result may be fatal.

He also pointed out that populist policies, to inject money for people to spend, will produce a fiscal multiplier of just 0.2%, instead of three times the amount to be spent under the scheme, estimated at 560 billion baht, as claimed by the Pheu Thai party, which is unrealistic. He claimed that similar schemes implemented in Japan during the COVID pandemic resulted in less than a 1% fiscal multiplier.

Chaiwat said that the slowdown of the Thai economy is mainly due to the drop in Thai exports over the past 10 months consecutively, mostly due to economic contraction in China, which is one of Thailand’s main trading partners.

The misuse of funds for the digital wallet scheme will also mean a loss of opportunity for the other projects which are badly in need of funding, he said, as he expressed doubts about from where the funding will come.

Chaiwat also pointed to the restrictions on the use of the 10,000-baht handout under the scheme. For instance, the money must be spent within a 4km radius of the residence of the recipient, he said, adding that there are many people who do not live in their registered residences and, in the countryside, there may be just a handful of stores in the area.

In the end, most of the money will end up with convenience stores, operated by giant corporations, instead of SMEs.

[S Landreth]

• Acting Democrat leader says policy statement doesn't match election pledges

Acting Democrat party leader Jurin Laksanawisit told parliament today (Monday) that the government’s policies, delivered by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, do not match those promised by the Pheu Thai party during the election campaign.

He cited the party’s manifesto, promising to provide each family with an income under 20,000 baht a month with financial support, to bring their monthly earnings up to 20,000 baht, saying that this was not mentioned in the policy statement.

Pointing out that there are about 20 million such households, he said he doubts the government could secure the funding to realise this policy, which may cost the taxpayer about 100 billion baht per month.

Two other pre-election promises missing from today’s policy statement are the 25,000 baht/month salary for BA graduates and the 600-baht minimum wage, to be implemented within four years.

Decentralisation of power, with the election of provincial governors for provinces which are ready for such elections, has also been left out, but replaced with centralisation of power, said Jurin.

Regarding the digital wallet scheme, the acting Democrat leader said that there seems to be no solution as to how the scheme can be implemented and from where the funding, estimated at 560 billion baht, will come.

He said he agrees with the prime minister’s promise not to revive the rice pledging scheme, but doubts the prime minister’s pledge to scrap the price guarantee for farm products, asking what the government will do if the prices of farm products drop substantially, to the extent that farmers are suffering financially.

Fortunately for the government, he said, the prices of most main farm products, such as rice, maize and tapioca, are currently high.

Regarding constitutional amendments, Jurin questioned why the government only promised not to touch Chapter 2 of the Constitution, concerning the monarchy, but not Section 1 of Chapter One, which he claims is equally important.

Section 1 of the charter specifies that “Thailand is a single and indivisible kingdom”.

He also reminded the government to uphold the rule of law by ensuring that all people are equal under Thai law, citing the recent Royal commutation granted to convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

He said that it is the prerogative of the King to grant a Royal pardon or commutation to any individual, but the government must make sure that all inmates are treated equally.

[S Landreth]

• Move Forward MP proposes measure to cope with forest fires, trans-border haze

A Move Forward MP for Chiang Mai province has proposed a 5-step measure to cope with forest fires and haze pollution in Thailand, especially in northern provinces.

Phattarapong Leelaphat, speaking during the debate on the government’s policy statement in parliament today (Tuesday), said that he is disappointed that the government has not treated forest fires and haze as an urgent matter, even though the problem has been added to the national agenda.

He said his proposed measures encompass the ASEAN Agreement of Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP), the Thai Constitution, which guarantees the protection of rights and quality of life of the people and the right of affected people to sue agencies which cause direct or indirect pollution affecting their livelihoods or health.

He said that the first measure is for the state to put in place a health welfare system, to provide free screening for lung or respiratory diseases for people in northern provinces.

The second is management of farm waste, to reduce burning of the waste. He suggested a fund be set up to assist farmers in turning their waste, such as rice stubble and corn cobs, into usable products. The state must also ban imports of products, the waste from which is burned by farmers.

Phattarapong proposed that the state must set up early warning and data collection systems, so preventive plans can be formulated, adding that the command centre to control forest fires must be decentralised, to enable local officials to manage forest fires.

Regarding the AATHP, the MP said that said that, since the agreement is rarely applied, the Thai government should take the initiative and set up set up a regional centre in northern Thailand to deal with transboundary haze from neighbouring countries, such as Myanmar.

[S Landreth]

• Court dismissed petition against House speaker for trying to topple democratic system

The Constitutional Court has dismissed a petition accusing House speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha of attempting to topple the democratic system by negating Move Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s renomination for prime minister.

The petition was lodged by Bandhit Poomthip, asking the court to rule whether the action by the Speaker, to order a vote during a joint sitting of the House and Senate on July 19 to determine whether Pita’s renomination, was against parliamentary rule 41.

Bandhit accused the House speaker of abusing his authority in a way which was deemed, by the petitioner, to be an attempt to topple the democratic system in the country.

The court ruled that there was no factual or documentary evidence to prove that Wan Muhamad intended to do as alleged by the petitioner and, by a unanimous vote, the court agreed not to accept the petition for consideration.

Pita first lost his bid to become Thailand’s 30th prime minister on July 13, when his prime ministerial candidacy was approved by 324 votes, most from members of the eight-party coalition alliance and 13 senators. This was, however, short of the minimum 375 votes required.

The Move Forward party sought Pita’s renomination during parliament meeting on July 19. After a lengthy and heated debate on whether renomination was possible under the rules, Wan Muhamad called a vote. 394 MPs and senators voted against the renomination, while 312 voted in favour, with 8 abstentions and one member who did not exercise their right to vote.

[S Landreth]

• Move Forward party leader quits

Pita Limjaroenrat has decided to step down as leader of the Move Forward party, paving the way for its committee to select his replacement, who will also become the leader of the Opposition in parliament.

The decision was made after consulting the party’s administrative board and MPs, he wrote on his Facebook page today (Friday).

His resignation comes as the new prime minister and his Cabinet officially begin work after delivering their policy statement in Parliament.

“I am now under suspension at the order of the Constitutional Court, making me unable to be the opposition leader in the near future. Therefore, to enable the Move Forward party to work in parliament, I have decided to resign and the party committee will find my replacement,” he wrote.

According to the Constitution, the House opposition leader shall be an MP who leads the political party with the largest number of opposition MPs, none of whom hold the post of government minister, House speaker or deputy speaker.

Pita, whose party has more MPs than any other in parliament, is unable to continue as leader of the Opposition because he is currently suspended from his duties as an MP, pending the outcome of a Constitutional Court case regarding his qualifications.

Therefore, his resignation will pave the way for a new opposition leader, as required by the charter.

Pita said he wishes to continue working with the Move Forward party, no matter what his status is. He will work for the changes the party’s supporters want, he wrote.

He invited all party members to meet on September 24 at the national sports stadium.

[cyrille]

How often is 'from time to time' Landreth?

There was almost a discussion in 'Speakers' back there for a while.

[aging one]

What are you doing on Landreth's thread cy? He has 10 dedicated threads going today where he is the only poster on the thread. It seems he gets some sort of pleasure out of talking to himself all day long, week after week.

[spliff]

AO....right on bro, excessive self-talk is cause for concern

[S Landreth]

• Opposition leader: The cog of Thai democracy that has shuddered to a halt

Thailand’s new prime minister and his Cabinet have officially begun work after delivering their policy statement in Parliament. However, the country will be deprived of an opposition leader for the foreseeable future, as potential candidates remain tied up in legal issues.

The post of opposition leader was first enshrined in Thailand half a century ago via the constitution of 1974. It stated that the post would go by royal command to the House of Representatives’ largest political party with no Cabinet seats but at least one-fifth of all MP seats.

Various changes were made to that clause in the constitutions of 1978, 1991, 1997, 2007, and 2017.

The current charter (2017) states that the House opposition leader shall be an MP who leads the political party with the largest number of opposition MPs, none of whom hold the post of government minister, House speaker, or deputy speaker.

Legal experts say the clause prevents the largest opposition party, Move Forward, from taking the opposition leader’s post as its MP Padipat Suntiphada is a deputy House speaker. Furthermore, Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat has been suspended as an MP pending a Constitutional Court case regarding his qualifications.

Meanwhile, the Democrats, the second largest opposition party, remain leaderless after Jurin Laksanawisit stepped down following a poor performance in the May 14 election.

More power for opposition leader

This Constitution expands the power of the opposition leader beyond just scrutinizing the government.

The opposition leader may ask the Parliament president to call a closed-doors meeting between Parliament and the Cabinet “in cases involving important issues of national security, safety or the economy”.

The opposition leader also sits on the committee that selects Constitutional Court judges and members of independent organizations.

In addition, he/she sits on the committee tasked with adjudicating disputes between the Cabinet and parliamentarians on draft bills for national reform under the National Strategy.

9 previous postholders

More in the article

Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat

MFP might want to select another leader

[S Landreth]

• Move Forward’s deputy House speaker will not back down

The first deputy House speaker Padipat Suntiphada said on Friday that he will not resign from his position to enable the next Move Forward leader to act as opposition leader.

He made the comment after Pita Limjaroenrat announced his resignation as leader of the Move Forward Party on Friday. Pita explained that the Constitutional Court’s order to suspend him from MP duties due to a media-shareholding case prevented him from acting as opposition leader.

Padipat said the election for the next Move Forward executive committee will be held on September 24, explaining that the tenure of the executive committee will expire once the party leader steps down.

He said he will discuss with the new executive committee if he has to be expelled from Move Forward to keep his post as deputy House speaker. Padipat is also a member of the party’s executive committee.

He described his dilemma as a “constitutional limitation” that was unique to Thailand.

This limitation should not exist because he had received a majority of votes to become deputy House speaker, Padipat said.

He said it would be up to Move Forward to decide if he had to be expelled from the party, adding that he will do his best to carry out his duties. He also expressed confidence that his party will make a decision that will benefit the country, not just itself.

Move Forward has the right to lead the opposition because it is the largest opposition party.

Pita will likely be replaced as Move Forward leader by either party secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon or MP Sirikanya Tansakun, observers say.

Chaithawat has taken important roles in Move Forward, such as negotiating its attempt to form a governing coalition and seeking support from the Senate. Sirikanya has played important roles in the Parliament, including in a censure debate against the previous government led by former Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, proposing new laws, and providing advice on administrative issues and budget expenditures.

[Storekeeper]

What are you doing on Landreth's thread cy? He has 10 dedicated threads going today where he is the only poster on the thread. It seems he gets some sort of pleasure out of talking to himself all day long, week after week.

Unfortunately the ignore function here on TD isn’t like the block function on FB. I can still see the loon posted 13 times.

[S Landreth]

• Move Forward party warned by Pheu Thai MPs not to "play games"

Pheu Thai MP Khrumanit Sungpoom has warned the Move Forward party about widespread speculation that it plans to engage in political game play by expelling Deputy House Speaker Padipat Suntiphada from the party, so that it can claim the vacant leader of the opposition post and keep Padipat as Deputy House Speaker, but under the banner of another party.

The MP for the north-eastern province of Surin asked both the Move Forward party and Padipat to think twice about such a move, pointing out that such an expulsion would put Padipat in a difficult position when performing his duties as Deputy House Speaker.

Being expelled from a party is a serious matter, equivalent to political suicide, because it would hurt the dignity of the Deputy House Speaker’s post, said Khrumanit, as he reminded Padipat that he is among the MPs who voted to approve the latter’s selection as deputy House speaker.

According to the Constitution, being dismissed from a party strips the MP of his parliamentary status, unless he is accepted as a member of another party within 30 days. Also, there is no law which specifies that the deputy House speaker automatically loses his post if he is expelled from a party.

The opposition Fair party recently announced that it is ready to accept Padipat as a member, if he is expelled from Move Forward.

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai deputy leader and government chief whip Adisorn Piengkes said today (Monday) that he does not want to interfere in the internal affairs of the Move Forward party, but would like to ask them what serious offence Padipat has committed that would justify expulsion.

The position of leader of the opposition remains vacant because Move Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat declined to assume the post, saying his ultimate aim is to become the prime minister.

According to tradition, the opposition leadership should automatically be passed to the leader of the second largest opposition party, which is the Democrat party, but that party lacks a leader, after Jurin Laksanawisit resigned to take responsibility for the party’s election defeat. The party has also been unable to hold meetings to elect the new leader and new executive committee.

The Move Forward party does not have a leader either, after Pita stepped down last week.

[S Landreth]

• Former Move Forward MP doxes party critic

The Move Forward party will talk to its former MP, Amarat Chokepamitkul, to find out for more about her visit to a factory to find a Facebook and Twitter user who frequently wrote negatively about her and her party, said Move Forward MP Padipat Suntiphada on Wednesday.

Amarat is an appointed advisor to Padipat and he told reporters that he is already aware of what Amara did and considered it inappropriate.

“Khun Amarat is not an MP, so the party will look into it. If the party considers Amarat’s actions to be inappropriate, I am ready to dismiss her from her role as one of my advisors. I personally believe that she should not have done what she did,” said Padipat who is also a deputy House speaker.

The user “Pimai Pimai” was not at the factory, so Amarat complained to her bosses, who promised to advise “Pimai Pimai” not to write negative comments about Amarat or the Move Forward party again.

She posted photos of her visit to the factory on her Facebook page and Twitter account.

What has been harshly criticised and branded as a witch hunt included a posting of some townhouses. Amarat added a caption which “As I cannot find her at work, I came to her house,” implying that one of the houses in the photo belongs to Pimai Pimai.

Amarat also posted Pimai Pimai’s personal information, including nickname, age, birthdate, home and office addresses and telephone number, as well as her mother’s name and number of her children.

Pimai Pimai has made known that she is a supporter of the Pheu Thai party and loves to write against Move Forward and Amarat.

Pimai Pimai later wrote a letter of complaint about Amarat on her Facebook page, addressing it to Move Forward secretary general Chaithawat Tulathon, House speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha and Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong.

She said she and her family felt threatened by Amarat’s actions.

[S Landreth]

• Former MP Pannika banned from contesting elections for life

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders has decided to permanently revoke the right to contest elections of former MP of the disbanded Future Forward party Pannika Wanich, after finding her guilty of a gross violation of the ethical code.

The court has also banned her from holding any political post. The charge was filed against her with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) in June 2019 by serial petitioner Srisuwan Janya, accusing her of posting several images and statements on Facebook which were deemed to offend the monarchy.

The NACC ruled Pannika guilty of a gross ethical violation on February 28th last year and took the case to the Supreme Court. The court’s verdict was released today (Wednesday).

Pannika was one of the members of the Future Forward party who were banned from voting in elections for ten years, after the party was dissolved by the Constitutional Court in 2020 for receiving a 191 million baht loan from party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, in violation of the Political Parties Act.

[S Landreth]

Pannika vows to stay in politics

Pannika Wanich has vowed to stay engaged in political activities, despite being banned from election or appointment to political office for life by the Supreme Court.

Writing on her Facebook page on Thursday, Pannika thanked people for the support and concern extended to her. “The court’s ruling means I cannot run for parliament or accept any political appointment, but no one can strip me of my political work,” she wrote.

Everything is continuing as usual in her political mission, under the banner of the Progressive Movement, she wrote, adding that she will work as campaign assistant in future elections.

She wrote that it is not important where or in what position we are. “What is important is how far this country will go.”

“We have come this far on a journey and we will not come to an abrupt stop. We will work until we reach the finish line,” she concluded.

The charge was filed against her with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) in June 2019 by serial petitioner Srisuwan Janya, accusing her of posting several images and statements on Facebook which were deemed to offend the monarchy.

The NACC ruled Pannika guilty of a gross ethical violation in February last year and took the case to the Supreme Court. The court’s verdict was released yesterday (Wednesday).

[S Landreth]

• Piyabutr promises to cease attacks on Move Forward

The Progressive Movement’s core leader Piyabutr Saengkanokkul has vowed to stop criticising the Move Forward party, after its supporters bombarded him with condemnation.

In his live session on Facebook, Piyabutr said that, as the party’s fan club were not ready to listen to his straightforward comments, he will no longer talk about the party.

Piyabutr was referring to his latest critical comments about the party on Thursday, when he called for its leaders to react after Pannika Wanich, also a core leader of the movement, was banned from election or appointment to political office for life by the Supreme Court.

He asked why they did nothing to support Pannika.

Piyabutr said he received a lot of negative comments from the party’s supporters for the comment adding that he is fed up and does not see any benefit in making comments on public issues, as he is being criticised harshly from all sides.

Therefore, he will do something else, such as finishing his books or teaching in universities, he said.