Thread: Move Forward the Opposition

No People’s Party branch in Nakhon Sawan: local election official

This follows claims by an MP that a branch exists in the province, though a visit to the reported location reveals a closed, unmarked building

The deputy chief of Nakhon Sawan’s election office insisted on Monday that People’s Party had not registered a branch office in the northern province.

Winai Sukkasem, deputy election chief of Nakhon Sawan, told The Nation that his office had not yet received any application for the opening of a People’s Party branch. However, he admitted that it was possible that the party may have registered its branch with the Election Commission (EC) in Bangkok.

The 143 MPs from the now-dissolved Move Forward Party have taken the Thinkakhaochaowilai (“land of white crows and civilised people”) party as their new home and have changed its name to People’s Party.

On Sunday, Warong Dechgitvigrom, chairman of the Thai Phakdee Party, threatened to file a complaint with the EC seeking to disband the new party on grounds that it had failed to establish branches in all four regions of the country.

Warong said he checked the website of the EC Office and found that the Thinkakhaochaowilai Party had been registered in 2012. He added that he had learned from the EC’s website that this party only had three branches – two in the North and one in the Central region, with none in the South and Northeast.

However, People’s Party MP Amarat Chokepamitkul said on Sunday that her party had opened branches in four regions, and one was in Nakhon Sawan.

On Monday, a Nation reporter visited the site in Nakhon Sawan where Amarat indicated the branch was located and found a deserted building with the front door closed and no signboard in front.

Election Commission dismisses concerns over People’s Party branches

Commission says new party has until April 3 next year to set up branches in all four regions of Thailand as per the Political Parties Act

The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday played down the controversy about Move Forward’s new avatar People’s Party (PP) not having enough branches across the nation.

Sawaeng Boonmee, EC secretary-general, said the PP has not violated the Political Parties Act when it comes to opening branches.

He added that the party has until April 3 next year to open branches in all four regions of the country.

Former Move Forward MPs shifted to the micro Thinkakhao Chaowilai Party and renamed it People’s Party.

Sawaeng was responding to a threat by Warong Dechkitvigrom, chairman of the Thai Phakdee Party, who said last week that he would push for the PP’s dissolution because it does not have a branch in each of the country’s four regions.

Warong said the micro Thinkakhao Chaowilai Party had been registered in 2012 and the EC website stated it did not have branches in all regions. He added that the Political Parties Act requires that a party must have branches in all regions of the country within a year of its establishment, or it will be dissolved. Hence, he said, the party should have been disbanded instead of being taken over by 143 former Move Forward MPs.

Move Forward was dissolved by the Constitutional Court on August 7 for allegedly trying to overthrow the monarchy.

Sawaeng said Thinkakhao had met the requirements of having branches in all four regions earlier, but on April 4, it informed the political party registrar that it had to dissolve three branches and only retain the Chiang Mai branch.

He added that the Political Parties Act gives all parties up to one year to establish branches, so the PP has until April 3 next year to open branches in three other regions.

He added that the PP had informed the political party registrar that it was opening more branches, but did not elaborate.

He only said PP is advised to carefully observe the rules of soliciting donations because breaching these rules could result in the party’s dissolution.

Some PP critics have suggested that the party may be violating the law by soliciting donations via electronic transfers.

However, Sawaeng said the law does not prohibit parties from receiving donations via electronic transfers. Each party must have its own regulations to govern the receipt of donations, he said.

He added that all donations should be credited to the party’s bank account, adding that the PP can use the bank account of Thinkakhao Chaowilai Party for the time being. If it uses another bank account, then it should be able to explain the need for doing so to the political party registrar, Sawaeng added.

He said PP is also required to inform the registrar of the donations and the donors’ names every month. It is also required to issue a receipt for donations of 5,000 baht or higher, Sawaeng said.

People’s party disagrees with Charter Court ruling against PM Srettha

The opposition People’s party has voiced concern over and disagreement with the Constitution Court’s decision to oust Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, on the grounds that he had displayed a “lack of evident integrity”, which it deemed to be gross ethical misconduct, over his appointment of Phichit Chuenban as prime minister’s office minister.

Party-list MP Parit Wacharasindhu said, however, that the party is supportive of the concept that politicians who hold office must have integrity and observe good political ethics.

He pointed out, though, that people have different perceptions of ethical issues. “If an act of ethical misconduct is not clear-cut corruption or an irregularity which is already covered by the law, a political ethical issue should be judged by the people,” said Parit at a press conference held at parliament in the aftermath of the Constitutional Court’s ruling.

He said that the People’s party disagrees with the current Constitution, which empowers independent organisations, such as the Constitutional Court, to interpret ethical standards at their discretion.

He also claimed that charter-mandated independent organisations are being used by some political elements to get rid of their opponents or to remove a political office holder, as was the case of former prime minister Srettha.

It is about time for the current Constitution to be rewritten and the scope of powers of all the independent organisations to be reviewed, said Parit, adding the party will press ahead with its plan to amend or rewrite the charter.

People’s party offers moral support to new PM

Opposition People’s party MP Sirikanya Tansakul offered moral support to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra today, hoping that she will do the job to the best of her ability and promising opposition cooperation in legislative work, including amending the Constitution.

She said that the opposition will, however, do its job in the checking and balancing the government’s actions to the fullest, as she urged the prime minister to attend parliamentary meetings regularly and to respond to impromptu opposition interpellations.

She said that the People’s party does not want to judge the prime minister’s capability based only upon her presentation of the government’s vision to parliament, but on a longer-term basis.

Sirikanya said that the opposition will follow up on the policies pledged by the Pheu Thai party since the election in May last year, to see whether it has delivered on its promises.

Regarding the “digital wallet” scheme, which may be subject to review, the People’s party MP said that, if the government decides to give cash, instead of digital money, it would satisfy the wishes of most people.

She noted, though, that it would depend on from where the cash would come and how much would be disbursed.

The change of the cabinet line-up, if there is any, will not change the way the opposition has been working to monitor the performance of the government, said Sirikanya.

As for no-confidence debates against the government, she said that, since the prime minister is a newcomer and fresh in the office, she does not yet see any issues on which to question her in parliament, adding that a censure debate can wait.

Pita heads to Harvard as a Visiting Democracy Fellow

Former Move Forward leader vows to use insights to help the development of Thailand and ASEAN

Pita Limjaroenrat, the former leader and prime minister candidate of the now-defunct Move Forward Party, posted a message on Medium website on August 20 that he had taken up a visiting role at Harvard University.

The party-list MP was disqualified from running for office for 10 years following the dissolution of his party by the Constitutional Court for undermining the constitutional monarchy system of government.

Pita said that his next chapter will begin at Harvard University this semester as a Visiting Democracy Fellow. He expressed his excitement about this opportunity to further his commitment to promoting leadership and democratic principles in the ASEAN region.

"Returning to Harvard this time is deeply meaningful to me because, during my previous studies here, I was greatly inspired by several former leaders who served as visiting fellows at the university. They played crucial roles in transforming their countries and lived in Boston to nurture new leaders regardless of race," he wrote.

Pita also outlined two main goals for his time at Harvard:

Sharing: He intends to share his experiences in leadership, political struggles, democratic systems, public policy, and citizen engagement with young people across ASEAN studying at Harvard, not just Thai students.

Learning: He aims to gather knowledge to enhance his ability to address issues in Thailand and beyond.

As his political tenure ends, Pita says he is fully committed to using this opportunity to reflect on his experiences and the challenges faced during his term. His work at Harvard will involve a deep exchange of political knowledge and meeting with global leaders to return as a better political leader when the time comes, he said.

"I will continue to travel between Bangkok and Boston almost every month, without leaving my hometown for too long. This approach will help me apply the insights and strategies gained from Harvard to my ongoing efforts to develop Thailand and the ASEAN region. I am sincerely grateful for this opportunity and the support I have received. Let's work together to create a brighter future for our next generation of leaders," Pita said.

Thai Sang Thai MP faces expulsion for defying party’s stance

Yasothon’s Supaporn Salubri is among six MPs facing disciplinary action for breaching ethical standards and voting for government

The opposition Thai Sang Thai Party has resolved to expel one of its party MPs for repeatedly violating the party’s principles.

On Wednesday, the party’s disciplinary and ethical standards committee recommended that the executive board expel Yasothon MP Supaporn Salubri after she ignored the panel’s summons twice to explain her repeated violation of the party’s regulations.

She is the first of six Thai Sang Thai MPs to face a disciplinary probe after they violated the party’s stand to not vote in support of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

After the six Thai Sang Thai MPs voted “yes” for Paetongtarn to become PM last Friday, party leader Sudarat Keyuraphan and disciplinary panel chief Bhokin Bhalakula ordered a disciplinary probe against them.

The panel said it summoned Supaporn first because she had repeatedly violated the party’s standards and her behaviour showed that she had violated the ethical standards over and over again.

The panel said it had asked for the board to expel her because she failed to respect or comply with the party’s ideology even though she debuted in politics under the party’s banner in last year’s general election.

The panel said investigators found that Supaporn had voted in favour of the coalition on several occasions and violated the opposition’s stand. It also found that she had joined several public functions of a coalition party to openly show support for them without providing reasons to Thai Sang Thai.

The panel said it will report its findings and decision to Bhokin and the executive board for further action as soon as possible, before summoning other Thai Sang Thai MPs to explain their vote for Paetongtarn soon.

‘Madame Dear’ condemns Democrat Party for betraying supporters

She argues that this decision has damaged the party’s honour and undermined public trust in Thai politics

Watanya Bunnag, a prominent member of the Democrat Party, has slammed the party’s executive board and MPs for their decision to join the Pheu Thai-led coalition government, calling it a betrayal of the party’s loyal supporters.

Watanya, better known as “Madame Dear”, added that this decision tarnished the honour and pride that Thailand’s oldest party has built over decades of political service.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, she also accused the party’s current leadership of using a “cheap excuse” to justify the decision. They had apparently claimed that shifting allegiances does not matter because the new generation of Democrat members has not inherited the long-standing rivalry between the two parties.

Watanya also accused the party of losing its moral compass by prioritising power over its principles under the leadership of Democrat leader Chalermchai Sri-on and secretary-general Det-it Khaothong.

Watanya had failed in her attempt to run for the post of Democrat leader last December because MPs and executives loyal to then-party secretary-general Chalermchai refused to amend the party charter and allow a newcomer to contest for the post.

The board is now dominated by executives loyal to Chalermchai and Det-it, while 21 of the party’s 25 MPs are also their supporters.

Watana went on to say that even though the Democrat Party lost elections and the number of its MPs has dwindled to 25, “the party has never lost its honour and pride because the party members knew that their decision was not made for the interest of a few persons or particular individuals”.

She said that MPs are people’s representatives in Parliament, so they should have stood up to fight against what was wrong and conflicted with the public interest.

Watanya went on to say that the Democrat Party should have continued performing its duty as an opposition party instead of seeking power without caring for the feelings or the ideology of its supporters.

“This decision has not only eroded public faith in the party, which the Democrats had worked hard to build up, but also undermined trust in the Thai political system as a whole,” she said. “Now the public will have no hope in politicians who use the election just as a rite to come together to seek vested interests.”

Meanwhile, Sirichoke Sopha, a former Democrat MP from Songkhla, said he has resigned from the party in protest against its decision to join the Pheu Thai coalition.

In an emotional Facebook post, he expressed his deep sadness at having to leave a party he had served for 30 years, saying “I could not sleep last night because I had decided to hand in my resignation with tears in my eyes from a party I love and cherish”.

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People’s Party clarifies lack of flood relief

Giving handouts even in a time of need would break election laws prior to the upcoming Phitsanulok by-election, Natthaphong says

Opposition leader People’s Party said on Wednesday that it was refraining from giving handouts to flood victims in several provinces to avoid breaking election laws close to the by-election in Phitsanulok province on September 15.

“The law prohibits political parties from offering gifts or handouts up to 180 days before the election,” party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut explained on Wednesday. He was responding to criticism of the party’s absence from nationwide flood relief efforts by several public and private agencies.

“I am not saying that giving handouts is wrong,” he said. “Looking back, you will see that MPs under the People's Party have always given rice and dried food to the people during critical times.”

Natthaphong added that giving any handout must consider the people’s needs and refrain from creating a patronage system that makes recipients feel they need to reciprocate.

When asked about the comparisons being made between the People Party’s actions in the flood situation and that of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Natthaphong said it was up to the Election Commission to decide which actions are considered as breaking election laws.

Thaksin, father of PM Paetongtarn, was in Chiang Rai earlier this week to offer moral support to flood victims in the northern province.

The by-election in Phitsanulok province’s constituency 1 will be held on September 15 to fill an MP seat previously belonging to Padipat Suntiphada, an executive of the now-defunct Move Forward Party who was banned from politics by the Constitutional Court.

As a reincarnation of Move Forward, People’s Party needs to win the seat to keep its total in the House from falling any further. The party is fielding Natachanon Chanaburanasak, a 34-year-old advisor to Padipat, as its candidate.

Thanathorn, Pita join People Party’s final push to win Ratchaburi PAO election

New party set to face its first electoral test on Sunday

Key People's Party leaders, MPs, and campaign assistants gathered in Ratchaburi province on Friday to launch their final push for the upcoming Ratchaburi Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO) president election on September 1.

The party has fielded Chairat Sakisarapong as its candidate.

Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, chairman of the Progressive Movement, delivered a campaign speech, highlighting that a village in Ratchaburi had gone without tap water for six months during the last dry season. He observed that a sub-district health promoting hospital lacked a water supply system, highlighting the suffering of the people.

He emphasised that this issue was not unique to Ratchaburi but was prevalent across Thailand. “When we say that the country should not be like this, some accuse us of being extreme. However, what we propose for society is not extremism but progress,” he said.

He explained that what they wished to do for everyone was not excessive. The Progressive Movement has had the opportunity to engage in local politics at the municipal and subdistrict levels, gaining practical experience that demonstrates their competence, commitment, and ability to develop the country.

They aim to bring these benefits to every area in Ratchaburi, and the future is in the hands of the people — it's up to them to choose what kind of future they want, he said.

“If Chairat wins, Ratchaburi will have Thanathorn as an adviser, and the entire People's Party staff will work together to develop Ratchaburi,” he promised.

Meanwhile, Pita Limjaroenrat, former leader of the Move Forward Party, declared that Chairat was undoubtedly the final answer as he embodies clarity and readiness. He is clearly a person of the Future Forward Party, the Move Forward Party, and the People's Party, known for his diligence and determination to fight for the people of Ratchaburi, Pita said.

Chairat is ready to work with the MPs and personnel of the People's Party, particularly the Land, Natural Resources, and Environment Commission, to advocate for ethnic rights alongside the People's Party's ethnic MPs, to address education issues with the party's education wing, in bringing successful local initiatives to Ratchaburi, Pita said.

He added that on September 2, if Chairat wins, they should celebrate together, as it would symbolise a victory for the Orange Party. When that moment arrives, the entire structure of the People's Party will stand alongside the people of Ratchaburi to change Ratchaburi, Thailand, and the world together, he said.

The Ratchaburi PAO election pits Chairat against Wiwat Nitikanchana, the former PAO president of Ratchaburi.

People’s Party candidate beaten in Ratchaburi PAO election

Wiwat Nitikanchana secures his title as Ratchaburi Provincial Administrative Organisation president

The almost completed unofficial vote count in the Ratchaburi PAO presidential election on Sunday (September 1) shows incumbent Wiwat Nitikanchana securing victory with 236,433 votes, defeating Chairat Sakisaraphong, a candidate from the People’s Party, who garnered 168,976 votes, resulting in a margin of 67,457 votes.

Wiwat declared his victory and stated that this election involved competing against a political party. He expressed concern as to whether the campaign strategies would satisfy the public and help them understand local policies versus those of the political parties.

Wiwat emphasised his close connection with the people of Ratchaburi, understanding their issues, which led to his receiving over 200,000 votes. He concluded by stating that the public still desires a local leader who can work for them.

Chairat meanwhile expressed his gratitude to the voters who came out to exercise their rights. He noted that his vote count had doubled compared to 2020, which reflects the positive impact of his work in the area over the years.

He believes that more people are opening their hearts to him and recognising the value of his policies and stresses that he remains committed to continuing his work for the people of Ratchaburi and hopes they will continue to give him more opportunities in the future.

Commenting on the defeat, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the People's Party, stated that local elections are not related to larger political entities because, in every election, it is the people who decide.

He stressed that every campaign policy is intended to benefit the public. The election results, he added, are influenced by several factors, particularly the rights of the people. The more the public participates, the more their representatives and policies will reflect their true needs, underscoring the importance of the people's voice.

No economic typhoon can be expected from digital wallet scheme: MP

Opposition lawmaker questions the project’s effectiveness, saying its reduced scope, delays and lack of funding have downgraded it to a mere ‘economic depression’

The economic typhoon the government was hoping to generate with its controversial digital wallet scheme will be downgraded to just a depression, People Party MP Sirikanya Tansakun said.

Sirikanya, an economic expert of the opposition party, said she expected a much-downgraded impact from the stimulus project after Deputy PM and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Monday that the second phase of the scheme may have to be paid in two instalments of 5,000 baht each.

The 10,000-baht handout scheme, which was introduced as a measure to boost the Thai economy, was a flagship election campaign of the ruling Pheu Thai Party.

Details of the project have been changed back and forth while preparations for its implementation were made under the government of prime minister Srettha Thavisin. Among the issues of concern were the sources of money to finance the scheme and using the funds without violating the laws on budget and financial discipline.

Following a long struggle to find enough sources of money, the Srettha government lowered the scope of recipients from 50 million to 45 million.

Since some 14.5 billion baht for the scheme is expected to come from the fiscal 2024 budget, the government has announced it will enforce the project in the first phase by wiring cash to some 14.5 state welfare cardholders and vulnerable people within September, the last month of fiscal 2024.

Initially, Pheu Thai had said the rest of the money would be paid via the digital wallet in the fourth quarter. Yet on Monday, Phumtham said the second phase would be paid in two instalments. He said half of the 10,000 baht handout will be paid in cash, and the other as part of the digital wallet.

Sirikanya said on Tuesday that she hoped Phumtham was wrong, as he was not directly in charge of the scheme. She added that if 5,000 baht in the first instalment was being paid in cash, then the project could not be called a digital wallet scheme anymore.

“And the payment of the second instalment may end up being postponed as the fiscal 2025 budget will not be sufficient again,” she said.

“What is very concerning is the impact on the economy. Initially, it was intended to generate an economic typhoon to sweep throughout the country, but it appears it will only create a depression with a far lower impact than what was advertised.”

Sirikanya said if the project’s details are changed with far less economic impact, the government should consider other stimulus measures. She noted that the government’s policy statement, which will be delivered to Parliament on Thursday, does not provide details of the digital wallet scheme.

The MP added that she does not expect corruption or the siphoning of funds, but said she feared digital fraud and hacking as the system will be rushed through.

Hence, she said, the government should consider other stimulus measures, especially if it fails to implement the digital wallet scheme with full scope as initially planned.

People’s party leader doubts government’s ability to survive for three years

People’s party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut told parliament today that the past year, under the Srettha Thavisin administration, was a “total waste”.

Policies could not be delivered because the country is not run under the rule of law, but at the whim of an oligarchy.

Not only was the Move Forward party (the predecessor to the People’s party) dissolved by a Constitutional Court on which some judges are biased against the party, but the previous cabinet and the people in general were also victimised by this political mechanism, he said during the debate following the government’s policy statement.

Citing the “digital wallet” scheme, promised as long ago as last year’s general election campaign, Natthaphong said the scheme has been postponed again and again and modified out of all recognition, to the extent that he wonders whether it will result in the “economic whirlwind”, as claimed by the previous administration, which was also run by the Pheu Thai party.

Regarding the government’s stated policy that they will urgently address household and informal debt by restructuring, he noted that the Srettha administration had promised the same thing, without delivering, meaning that Thailand’s household debt now amounts to 90.8% GDP, according to the Bank of Thailand.

While proclaiming that they are reducing energy and other utility charges, Natthaphong said the government has not even negotiated with major energy corporations yet, to change the pricing structure.

He went on to ask why another headline policy of the previous administration, to increase the minimum wage to 600 baht, was not included in this government’s policy statement, nor was how the government are going to deal with impacts of climate change.

The People’s party leader noted that amending or drafting of a new Constitution should be included as one of the 10 priority policies, highlighting the risk of the Constitutional Court being used to get rid of their real or imagined political enemies again.

Nicknaming Paetongtarn’s government as “the government of three bosses”, Natthaphong said he wonders whether it will last three years, if it remains subservient to a political system which is bent on undermining the rule of law.

Commenting on the government’s priority to resolve the illegal drug problem, People’s party MP Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn said that one of the most effective ways to tackle the problem is to target the major drug traffickers and to confiscate their assets.

Instead of simply locking up drug users, which often turns them into drug dealers, he suggested that the government increases the budget for the rehabilitation of the users, in cooperation with civil society and community networks.

Major drug traffickers are most afraid of having their assets confiscated, said Wiroj, noting that, although the amount of drugs seized by the authorities has increased considerably year by year, the value of assets seized has not increased proportionately.

People’s Party MP defends call to register all migrant workers

Opposition party-list MP clarifies that his party’s push to register illegal Myanmar workers aims to combat corruption and crime, not to prioritise their rights over those of Thais

An opposition MP explained that his party simply wanted to end the corruption and crimes related to the employment of unregistered Myanmar workers, not to promote their rights at the cost of Thais.

People’s Party party-list MP Parit Wacharasindhu was responding on Wednesday to attacks on Thai social networks claiming the party wanted to boost the rights of Myanmar workers at the cost of the country and Thai taxpayers’ money.

The party’s stance was questioned by some critics after its MPs expressed concerns about the rights of Myanmar workers. The questions also gave rise to hashtags like “Myanmar People’s Party” doing the rounds on social networks.

In his explanation on Wednesday, Parit admitted that it was a sensitive issue and may affect public sentiment.

“But the People’s Party policy is that any issue affecting people’s quality of life should be addressed openly, even if it’s sensitive,” he said.

He added that his party estimates that are some 6 million Myanmar nationals working in Thailand and half of them are doing so unlawfully due to a corrupt collusion between law enforcers and employers.

“This is a challenge the government must deal with. Since they’ve entered the country unlawfully to work, it leads to corruption and state agencies lack a central database to deal with them,” he added.

Parit went on to say that unregistered Myanmar workers may also cause social issues, so it will be tough for the state to supervise and take care of them.

Plus, he added, if all workers are added to the system, they will all pay taxes.

Hence, he said, the only way of handling this issue and preventing corruption and crime will be to register and legalise all migrant workers. This way the government will have a database, and this will benefit Thais in the long run.

Generational wipeouts affect Peoples Party

The latest executive structure of the biggest political camp is making many frown, due to several unknown or controversial names as well as the absence of relatively more-qualified candidates.

To be fair, the People’s Party did not have too many choices, after the dissolutions of the Future Forward Party and Move Forward Party sent senior or quality executives into oblivion. The restructured board, according to a mainstream media analysis, “does not meet expectations when the popular word of the hour _ ethics _ is taken into account.”

Also to be fair, executives of other parties, though older, are not necessarily better.

Yet the other parties are more equipped and have greater experiences when it comes to elections. The PeopleÂ’s Party should do just fine with its current popularity. In Thai politics, popular parties can field any candidate, do little to support them and still win. When popularity is gone, however, poor structures or inefficient management can immensely affect election outcomes.

The latest structure of the PeopleÂ’s Party has come out of a convention a few days ago. Basically, everyone involved in the partyÂ’s work attended the convention which sought to delegate electoral responsibilities to more members.

The same analysis, meanwhile, said there might be a temporary pause in the fighting between the ruling Pheu Thai Party and the opposition PeopleÂ’s Party to push for constitutional amendment that the conservatives do not like.

Pheu Thai and the People’s Party have one thing in common. They want to decrease the powers of “independent agencies” like the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Constitutional Court which have played a big role in politics over the years.

One change that Pheu Thai wants, claimed the analysis, is one that could allow Thaksin Shinawatra to officially “rejoin” the party although he would still be unable to run in elections. This change would allegedly ease fears that the party could be dissolved for letting an “outsider” influence its decisions.

People’s Party puts charter change on ethics on back burner for now

The opposition party has decided to postpone its move to limit Constitutional Court’s powers as it may hinder support for other proposals
The opposition People’s Party believes that charter amendments are necessary to end the Constitutional Court’s “monopoly” in making decisions about parties’ code of ethics, but will not pursue this for now.

Party spokesman Parit Wacharasindhu said on Thursday that if his party continues pushing for amendments on ethical standards, then other political parties may cite this as an excuse to not support other charter amendments put forward by the party.

He said the plan to amend the charter to end the Constitutional Court’s “monopoly” is among the seven charter-amendment packages planned by the party.

However, he said, the plan to amend the article on the code of ethics has been put on the back burner after Pheu Thai announced on Thursday that it would not seek to amend the charter on this point.

Parties on both sides of the House announced they were backing down after some critics said such amendments could be seen as a conflict of interest, especially since MPs will vote for the amendment to suit their own purposes.

As for the People’s Party’s initial plan, Parit said the party wanted to set the scope of power wielded by the Constitutional Court and other independent organisations and used unfairly against parties they don’t like.

Parit said his party believes that each political organ, like the House or Senate, should have its own regulations to check and govern the ethical standards of its members to end the Constitutional Court’s monopoly.

This, he said, will make political parties more responsible towards voters, instead of just fearing independent organisations.

Parit pointed out that the fear of the Constitutional Court prevented Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from appointing certain people to her Cabinet, even though they had served as ministers in the Prayut Chan-o-cha regime.

He said the People’s Party will push for six other charter amendment packages as it fears that an entirely new charter will not be ready by the time the next general election rolls around.

The six charter amendment packages are:

• Amendments to undo the fallout of the 2014 coup led by General Prayut, including annulling the so-called 20-year national strategy and development plans of the junta-led National Council for Peace and Order, as well as annulling Article 279 which made all orders of the council constitutional.
• Amendments to add more anti-corruption mechanisms to prevent collusion between the government and the NCPO. They will also empower voters, at least 20,000, to demand that the National Anti-Corruption Commission conduct graft probes urgently within 180 days.
• Amendments to enhance civil rights and liberty. The public should be guaranteed the right to free 15 years of basic education, enhanced community rights and enhanced sexual rights and protection.
• Amendments to reform the armed forces by ending forced conscription. The amendments will also restrict the scope of martial court proceedings.
• Amendments to improve the efficiency of Parliament. The amendments would seek to increase the authority of parliamentary committees to issue summons for documents and witnesses. They will also require that House speakers and their deputies come from opposition parties.
• Amendments on regulations for charter amendments. The People’s Party is pushing for charter amendments to go through with a vote from just two-thirds of the House, instead of also requiring approval from a third of the Senate. A referendum should only be required when the amendments end up changing rules and regulations or when a new charter is to be drafted.

People’s party MP acquitted of lese majeste charges

Giving the defendant the benefit of doubt, the Kalasin provincial court has acquitted People’s party MP Piyarat Chongthep of lèse majesté, charges which were laid in connection with a poster criticising an alleged monopoly on COVID-19 vaccines and its dissemination on social media.

The court ruled that the prosecution’s evidence was unconvincing and did not prove that Piyarat, former chief of the “WeVo” guards for anti-monarchy protesters, was responsible for displaying the poster in Yang Talat district of Kalasin or for posting images of it on social media in 2020.

The case dated back to a protest in Kalasin on January 23, 2020.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said today that there are still other two lèse majesté cases against Piyarat pending in the Criminal Court in Bangkok and the Ubon Ratchathani provincial court.

People’s Party could still win Udon Thani PAO election, says Pita

Former Move Forward leader banks on support from 50% undecided voters

Former Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat said on Friday that the People’s Party could still win the election for president of the Udon Thani Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO), as polls indicate 50% of voters were yet to make a decision on who to vote for tomorrow (November 24).

People’s Party candidate Kanitsorn Kurirang is pitted against the Pheu Thai Party’s, Sarawut Phetpanomporn, in what used to be considered a Pheu Thai stronghold.

The main opposition People's Party is the successor to the Move Forward Party (MFP) after its dissolution by a court order in August for violating the Political Parties Act.

Pita was in the northeastern province this week to campaign for Kanitsorn. He was accompanied by Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, the former secretary-general of the now-defunct Future Forward Party, and executives of the People’s Party.

Speaking on a stage on Friday, Pita pointed out that in the three months since the Paetongtarn Shinawatra government came to power, it had failed to boost the economy and fix people’s cost of living problems as promised.

“Thailand’s GDP has expanded only 3% this year, roughly the same level as the global average, and therefore nothing to be proud of,” said Pita.

He urged Udon Thani voters to cast their ballots on Sunday, adding that he believed the People’s Party still had a chance to win because polls indicate about half of the voters were yet to make up their minds on which candidate to vote for.

Speaking on a separate issue, Pita backed the Constitutional Court’s decision on Friday to reject a petition accusing former PM Thaksin Shinawatra and the Pheu Thai Party of actions aimed at overthrowing the constitutional monarchy system, saying it was the “correct move”.

“A political party should never be dissolved easily by any organisation,” said Pita. “Unless it involves actions such as a coup, territorial separation, or attempt to change the democratic system, political parties should not face dissolution or the loss of political rights.”

People’s Party could still win Udon Thani PAO election, says Pita

Pheu Thai Party wins the Udon Thani local election with the help of ex-Premier Thaksin Shinawatra

With 84.5% of the vote counted, supporters of the winning candidate, Mr. Sarawut Petchpanomporn, spoke by video call with ex-Premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

At that time, the Pheu Thai Party candidate had 298,779 votes, while the People’s Party contender had secured 239,185.

Pita reaches out to Ubon Ratchathani voters for PAO chief election

Former Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat asked Ubon Ratchathani province locals to turn out in large numbers and cast their ballots for their preferred Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) presidential candidate.

He was speaking at the Samrong district auditorium on Saturday, while campaigning for People’s Party candidate Sittipon Laohawanich.

Pita greeted locals in Isaan language, saying that he visited Samrong district to thank voters for Move Forward’s victory in Ubon Ratchathani’s constituency 4 during the general election in May last year.

“Though Move Forward was disbanded by a charter court order, we have returned as campaign assistants,” he said.

Pita confirmed that his move to campaign had nothing to do with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s plan to canvass for Pheu Thai Party’s candidate on Wednesday (December 11).

He called on Ubon Ratchathani locals to turn out in large numbers and cast their votes, saying the previous PAO president election saw a low number of voters. He also asked the Election Commission to launch measures to draw voters.

Pita expressed confidence that the People's Party candidate would be able to beat two strong candidates – Pheu Thai candidate Karn Kalptinan and independent candidate Jittrawan Wangsuphakitkoson.

“We are a new political pole, and people should vote for a new pole if they want to see a change,” he said, claiming that Ubon Ratchathani’s transport, tourism and public health have not improved yet.

He vowed to visit Ubon Ratchathani again on December 20, two days ahead of the PAO presidential election on December 22.

Pita reaches out to Ubon Ratchathani voters for PAO chief election

Court rejects bid to revoke bail for People’s Party MP convicted of lese majeste

People’s Party MP Rukchanok Srinork remains free on bail today, after the Criminal Court rejected a petition seeking withdraw of her bail for allegedly violating its conditions by defaming the monarchy again.

The petition was filed with the court on October 28 by Tankawin Ratwat-angkoon, an independent academic, who claimed that the Bangkok MP had breached bail conditions with a Facebook post casting the monarchy in a negative light.

The court held a hearing on Tankawin’s petition on November 26 and scheduled the reading of their decision for today, in which the court found that Rukchanok’s post was not an expression of opinion and did not constitute an act of lèse majesté.

Rukchanok was found guilty on two counts of lèse majesté and sentenced to three years for each offence. She was granted bail, pending her appeal, on the condition that she must not commit the same offence again.

Court rejects bid to revoke bail for People’s Party MP convi