Thailand’s Future Forward party cleared in surprise Court verdict

The Constitutional Court have beaten their own schedule for a verdict by announcing late this morning a decision that cleared the Future Forward Party of charges that it was attempting to undermine “the democratic system under the monarchy”.

The ruling is one of the few that have come out on the side of Government opposition parties in Thailand, and is considered a triumph for the young political party leader Thanathorn Jungroongruangkit, the party’s top executives, FF voters and broader support base.

Future Forward’s supporters gathered at its headquarters this morning, expecting the worst, but then erupted in cheers when the Constitutional Court handed down its verdict.

The court ruled that “all the charges against the party were not enough grounds to prove it acted in a way that would harm the constitutional monarchy”.

Dr. Natthaporn Toprayoon, a lawyer and a former advisor to the ombudsman, had asked the Court to consider dissolving the political party last July, alleging they were involved in the obscure 300 year old “Illuminati” group, and that its executives were openly critical of the Thai monarchy.

The court said that it was the duty of the country’s Election Commission to check and amend any discrepancies in the party’s stated policies and ensure it “conformed with the constitutional requirements”.

It dismissed “as groundless” Natthaporn’s charge that the party was emulating the bizarre secret society known as “Illuminati”.  In his original submission, Natthaporn claimed that in reverse the party’s logo bears close resemblance to the Illuminati’s triangle sign.

Thanathorn and other leaders of the party planned to call a press conference later in the afternoon.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World