Thailand's constitutional court will rule whether to dissolve political party for violating constitution

Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday said it will rule on whether to dissolve the political party that won the most seats in last year’s election for allegedly violating the constitution by proposing to amend a law against defaming the country’s royal family. The court said it had accepted a petition from the state Election Commission to hear the case against the Move Forward party after finding there was enough evidence, and instructed the party to submit evidence on its own behalf within 15 days. [ . . . ] Thailand’s courts, especially the Constitutional Court, are considered a bulwark of the country’s traditional royalist establishment, which has used them and nominally independent state agencies such as the Election Commission to issue rulings to cripple or sink political opponents. The Move Forward party finished first in the 2023 general election after campaigning to amend Article 112 and introduce other democratic reforms. The victory indicated that many Thai voters were ready for change after nearly a decade of military-controlled government.
Read the full article here: AP News