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

Members and supporters of Thailand’s Future Forward Party are massing at the party’s headquarters in the on New Phetchaburi Road in Bangkok awaiting the Constitutional Court’s ruling on charges that it has engaged “in activities detrimental to the democratic system”. The case stems from a complain six months ago that Future Forward was involved in the imaginary “Illuminati” group, thought to want to overthrow the world’s monarchies.

Active in the 1700’s, the Illuminati were alleged to be a secret society behind campaigns to overthrow Europe’s monarchies and influence the American declaration of independence (in 1776). It has been a popular conspiracy theory directed at progressive democracies in recent decades.

The Future Forward party stands accused of attempting to undermine Thailand’s democratic system, as a constitutional monarchy. The charges stem from selected commentary from Future Forward executives, critical of the Thai monarchy. They also claim that the party’s political manifesto doesn’t specifically mention support for democracy under the monarchy.

The charges, which Future Forward leader Thanathorn Jungroongruangkit dismissed as “nonsense” when they were came out last July, were filed by Dr. Natthaporn Toprayoon, a Thai lawyer and a former advisor to the ombudsman’s office.

Today’s judgement will be a historical political case, both in terms of the evidence provided over the “Illuminati” case, and the impact it will have on the Future Forward party in Thailand.

The party has already announced that it will call a media conference after the court delivers its verdict this afternoon. Yesterday Amnesty International called on the Thai government to stop what it described as “legal intimidation” of the Future Forward Party. It wants to see all charges filed against the party withdrawn.

The verdict is scheduled to be handed down from 2pm today.

(UPDATE: 7:07am, the Thai-language daily Khao Sod now reports the number of drowned at 5)

One passenger has drowned and four others remain missing (presumed drowned) after their boat struck a submerged tree stump and capsized on Sirikit Dam in the northern province of Uttradit, near the border of Laos.

Rescue workers recovered five passengers and the boat’s skipper from the reservoir, but four remain missing. A woman’s body has been recovered.

Police say the boat was leaving Ban Huay Ta village in Tha Pla district, carrying the boat’s owner-operator, 10 passengers and a car, as well as agricultural materials. It was bound for Ban Tha Rua when it struck the stump, floating just below the surface, near the Koh Men and Koh Tao islands, about two kilometres from its destination.

The director of Phrae provincial marine office says the water level in the reservoir has dropped significantly over recent months and could have contributed to the captain losing his bearings.

SOURCES: The Bangkok Post | Thai PBS World