Charter court gives MFP 7 days to submit deposition transcripts

The nine Constitutional Court judges on Tuesday demanded that Move Forward Party submit deposition transcripts to the court within seven days in the dissolution case filed by the Election Commission (EC).

The court has scheduled the next hearing on July 3 and has asked the EC and Move Forward to review each other’s list of evidence and witnesses on July 9.

The court demanded the deposition transcripts from Move Forward after asking the EC on June 12 to submit its list of evidence and witnesses by Monday (June 17).

The EC submitted its list of evidence and witnesses last Friday and again on Monday.

In its petition, the EC has asked the court to invoke Article 92 of the organic law on political parties and dissolve Move Forward over behaviour that can be deemed as a move to overthrow the constitutional monarchy. The EC also alleged that Move Forward had previously behaved in a manner that was tantamount to hostile acts in the democratic ruling system in which the King is the head of state.

The EC based its petition on the Constitutional Court’s January 31 ruling that an election campaign run by then-Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat to change Article 112 of the Criminal Code or the draconian lese majeste law was tantamount to a move to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.

The EC asked the court to dissolve the party, ban its executives from politics, and prohibit the banned executives from forming a new party or becoming executives in any other parties.

The court reviewed the case and gave Move Forward seven days to submit transcripts of testimonies provided under oath by witnesses outside the court.

The judges also resolved to include documents from its January 31 ruling in the new dissolution case against Move Forward.