Supreme Court ruling sought against 44 ex-Move Forward MPs over Article 112 bill
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) unanimously ruled today that 44 former MPs of the now defunct Move Forward, including several active members of the People’s party, had committed gross ethical misconduct by proposing a bill to amend Thailand’s controversial lèse majesté law.
The NACC’s ruling will be submitted to the Supreme Court for further review. If the court accepts the case, all 44 will have to cease performing any parliamentary duties immediately.
Several of the group have, however, already been banished from politics by the Constitutional Court. These include former executives of the Move Forward party who were among the signatories on the draft bill, such as party leader Pita Limjaroenrat and his successor Chaithawat Tulathon.
The remainder are now in the People’s party. Among them are 12 newly-elected party-list and three newly-elected constituency MPs.
According to the NACC, these 15 newly-elected MPs will be affected if the Supreme Court accepts the NACC’s petition.
The 12 party-list MPs are Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, Sirikanya Tansakul, Nitipon Piwmow, Pakornwut Udompipatsakul, Rangsiman Rome, Wayo Asavaroongruang, Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, Surachet Pravinvongvuth, Natthawut Buaprathum, Woraphop Viriyaroj, Khampong Thepakham, and Nattacha Boonchai-Emsawat.
Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut
Sirikanya Tunsakul
Rangsiman Rome
An NAAC source said that, if the 12 party-list MPs are ordered to cease performing their parliamentary duties, the other party-list candidates of the People’s party will move up to fill the void.
The case stems from a complaint filed with the NACC in 2023, accusing the 44 former MPs of the Move Forward party of serious violations of ethical standards by proposing amendments to the lèse majesté law.
In January 2024, the Constitutional Court ruled that the Move Forward party’s bid to amend the law constituted an abuse of rights aimed at undermining the democratic system with the King as head of state.
Subsequently, the EC sought court- ordered the dissolution of the Move Forward party and banishment of its executives from politics for 10 years.