Thai court bans popular politician
Dissolves his Move Forward Party
Supporters at the Move Forward Party (MFP) headquarters react after Thailand’s Constitutional Court ruled that former MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat was to receive a decade-long ban and dissolve his party after challenging royal defamation laws, in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday. Photo: AFP
Thailand's most popular politician was banned from politics for 10 years and his party dissolved yesterday over his attempt to reform the kingdom's archaic royal defamation laws.
The Constitutional Court in Bangkok voted "unanimously" to dissolve the Move Forward Party (MFP) and ban its executive board, which includes its former leader Pita Limjaroenrat, for 10 years, judge Punya Udchachon said.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Pita, 43, led the reformist MFP to a shock first place in a general election last year.
He struck a chord with young and urban voters with his pledge to reform Thailand's strict royal defamation law, which rights groups say has been misused to stifle pro-democracy groups.
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