Constitutional Court accepts petition for FWP dissolution
The Constitutional Court on Wednesday (December 25) accepted the petition from the Election Commission of Thailand for the dissolution of the Future Forward Party (FWP), according to Section 72 and Section 92(3) of the Political Party Organic Law B.E. 2560.
Section 72 prohibits political parties and their officers from receiving donation of money or assets from any sources which they know are unlawful or have reasonable doubts of it being unlawful.
Section 92(3) allows the Constitutional Court to consider dissolving any political party that violates Section 72.
In the next step, the court will send a copy of the petition to FWP, giving it an opportunity to explain the allegation within 15 days after receiving the copy.
On December 11, the Election Commission filed a petition to the Constitutional Court, asking it to consider dissolving FWP over a loan of Bt191 million from its leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit to the party which may have violated the election and political party laws.
Regarding the petition made by lawyer Nuttaporn Toprayoon on June 18, accusing FWP leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, FWP secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul and four FWP board members of attempting to overthrow the democratic regime with the king as the head of state according to Section 49 in the 2017 Constitution, the court said the case had enough evidences for the trial to continue without further investigation, according to Section 58(1) of the Constitutional Court’s Trial Procedures Organic Law B.E. 2561.
The Constitutional Court therefore will continue the trial and will read its verdict on Tuesday (January 21) at 11.30 am.