MFP confident on Constitutional Court ruling on lese majeste law amendment

The Constitutional Court’s impending verdict on the main opposition Move Forward Party‘s (MFP) bid to amend the lese majeste law is anticipated with confidence by the party. The MFP’s list MP and spokesperson, Parit Wacharasindhu, stated yesterday, January 29, that an internal discussion would take place before the court’s ruling.

The Constitutional Court was petitioned by Theerayut Suwannakasorn to determine the constitutionality of the MFP’s campaign agenda in the May elections last year, which aimed to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese majeste law. The petition was aimed at the party and Pita Limjaroenrat then-leader of the MFP. However, the petition did not seek the party’s dissolution, but the ruling could be a precursor to a separate petition for the party’s disbandment.

Parit asserted that the MFP’s proposed amendment of the lese majeste law was legal and that the party had no hidden agenda. He refuted the complainant’s claim that the amendment was subversive.

Parit also mentioned the MFP’s sponsorship of a draft bill to amend the lese majeste law, arguing that any legislation must undergo comprehensive, multi-party scrutiny in Parliament. He emphasised that the draft bill did not suggest the amendment was an attempt to overthrow the constitutional monarchy, reported Bangkok Post.

He encouraged supporters to pay attention to the ruling on Wednesday, as it could set a significant precedent in Thai politics.

Conversely, Senator Somchai Sawangkarn speculated on his Facebook page that the MFP’s chances of succeeding with its amendment plan were slim. He warned of a potentially tougher petition on the horizon for the MFP, depending on the ruling.

He noted that the MFP’s attempt to introduce a bill amending Section 112 was twice rejected by the Parliament president before the General Election last year, as it was deemed contrary to the constitution. Despite these rejections, the party continued to push the legislation and incorporated the amendment into its election campaign policy.

The senator explained that the amendment would reduce the penalty for lese majeste offenders, making it less severe than the punishment for ordinary citizens under the defamation law. He noted that the Constitutional Court had previously ruled that attempts to change Section 112 by groups allegedly linked to the MFP constituted a subtle form of subversion against the country’s rule and were not equivalent to a reform of the monarchy. According to Somchai, the case against the party was foolproof.