Thailand’s reformist Move Forward Party and its charismatic figurehead won the most the seats in last year’s election, but were not allowed to govern.
It was only 15 months ago that Thai reformists, helmed by a Harvard-and New Zealand-educated 42-year-old, stunned the powerful army generals and royalists with an electoral victory heralding what seemed to be a historic shift in Thailand’s democracy.
The combustible court case, one of several destabilising Thai politics, centres on Move Forward’s election commitment to loosen the strictlaws that punish perceived slights against the monarchy with jail terms of up to 15 years per offence. “Political scientists call it a ‘competitive authoritarian’ system,” says ANU senior lecturer Dr Greg Raymond. “That is, you do have elections. There is genuine competition going on. But there are other mechanisms and institutions which generally ensure that the conservative establishment has a government to its liking.
Pita no longer leads Move Forward but remains deeply involved, telling media this week “democracy in Thailand is on the defence.” Opinion polls show he remains the Thai people’s preferred prime minister. Protesters took to the streets, and are expected to again if Move Forward is dissolved on Wednesday. The scale of the protest would depend on the message from the Move Forward leadership and how grassroots organisations responded, according to University of Sydney associate professor Aim Sinpeng.Getty
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