Thailand’s main opposition party, the Move Forward Party relaunches under new name and leader
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Loading... - Armin Lorenz
- 09 Aug 2024
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Thailand’s main opposition party, the Move Forward Party (MFP), has rebranded under a new name and leadership following its forced dissolution by a court earlier this week. The new party, called Prachachon, will be led by tech entrepreneur Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut. In English, the party will be known as the People’s Party.
Parit Wacharasindhu, a representative of the party, explained the choice of name, emphasizing their commitment to being a party that represents the people and seeks to move Thailand forward with the people as the supreme authority. This reformation follows a unanimous ruling by Thailand’s constitutional court that not only disbanded the MFP but also banned its executive board members from politics for 10 years.
Despite the dissolution, 143 MFP politicians who retained their parliamentary seats have now joined Prachachon. Natthaphong, during a news conference, reaffirmed that the new party will continue to uphold MFP’s ideology, with the goal of creating a government for change in the 2027 national election.
MFP had garnered strong support, particularly among young and urban voters, due to its progressive agenda, which included military reforms and efforts to dismantle powerful business monopolies.
However, the party also faced significant opposition, especially due to its controversial proposal to amend Thailand’s strict lese-majeste law, which protects the monarchy. The law is one of the harshest in the world, with penalties of up to 15 years in prison for each perceived insult to the crown, and it has made powerful enemies among influential generals and royalists.
