Speaking to the public forum “Thai Raksa Chart Party’s Possible Dissolution” held at Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand, Somchai said the EC commissioners may have put themselves at risk and could have to take responsibility for an “undesirable outcome” by rushing to take the case to court.

Drawing on his experience as a former commissioner, Somchai noted that should normally take from 15 to 30 days or more for a sub-committee to work through a case before the commission could make a decision.

Somchai said a case that took only one or two days for a decision, as occurred over Thai Raksa Chart’s possible dissolution, was rare. However, by not using a sub-committee to help determine the case, the EC could be putting themselves at risk, he added.

Public criticism has been largely focused on the commission, with commentators arguing that it demonstrated discrimination against the anti-junta party, and had skipped steps in a proper process in a rush to get the party dissolved.

Somchai disagreed, and suggested that the sooner the case ended, the better.

The rush meant that the Court could bring down a verdict before the March 24 election, he said, and that would be the “best scenario”. The case would be ended without any further questions, the former commissioner said.

If the verdict to dissolve Thai Raksa Chart was instead issued after the election, much turmoil would ensure, Somchai said. He raised two additional scenarios.

In his first and “most difficult” scenario, the judgement could come after the election but before the EC endorsed the election results. Nobody would know for sure how to proceed or what to do with the votes already cast for the dissolved party, or whether a by-election should be held, he said.

And in a final scenario, the Court’s verdict would be issued after the EC’s endorsement of the election outcome. This could lead to political uncertainty as the successful MP candidates could rightfully claim their titles but would have to seek affiliation with other parties, said Somchai.

The difficulty in that scenario would lie with the choices made by the successful candidates, said Somchai. Would they move to other pro-democracy parties or would they change sides, Somchai wondered.

The court reasoned that, because party dissolution is legally specified to be a matter for the Constitutional Court, it did not have the authority to consider Ruangkrai’s appeal.

The EC launched a petition with the Constitutional Court two weeks ago accusing Thai Raksa Chart of breaching the law by nominating Princess Ubolratana as its sole prime ministerial candidate. The Constitutional Court will deliver a verdict next Thursday on whether Thai Raksa Chart must be disbanded.

Thai Raksa Chart will hold a major campaign rally in central Bangkok today despite its fate hanging by a thread.

The campaign event, “Determining Thailand’s Future”, will be held at Lan Khon Muang near the Giant Swing at 5pm.

Core members including Chaturon Chaisang, Nattawut Saikua and Pichai Nariptaphan are expected to appear onstage.

‘Dissolution topic to be avoided’

Nattawut said yesterday the speakers would focus on the party’s policy proposals and its stance against the current military-led regime and would not mention the possibility of the party being dissolved.

Pro-democracy party Future Forward was meanwhile also facing the threat of dissolution yesterday.

Boonthavorn Panyasit, repre-senting a group called People Protecting the Constitution, lodged |a petition with the EC to |consider breaking up Future Forward Party.

He alleged that it was “exhibiting behaviour against the monarchy”, citing secretary general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul’s personal stance in opposition to the lese majeste law.

Boonthavorn also wondered what party leader Thanathorn Jungroong-ruangkit meant when he said recently that Future Forward would complete the mission of Khana Ratsadon.

The Khana Ratsadon group brought an end to the absolute monarchy in the 1932 Siamese Revolution.

Thai Raksa Chart Party will know its fate next week after the Constitutional Court yesterday scheduled March 7 to read its verdict on whether the party should be dissolved following a petition from the Election Commission (EC).

The final judgement next week will be made based on the evidence submitted to the court earlier and there will be no further hearings, according to a statement issued by the court yesterday.

Thai Raksa Chart has been accused of undermining the constitutional monarchy system by nominating Princess Ubolratana as its prime minister candidate. The EC petitioned the court to dissolve the party and the executives face a ban from politics for life.

The party’s PM nomination has already been nullified by the EC following a Royal Command issued by the King. Thai Raksa Chart subsequently found itself in trouble for trying to involve the monarchy in politics.

Thai Raksa Chart lawyer Surachai Chinchai explained yesterday that the court’s decision yesterday showed the lawsuit was nearing an end.

The documents submitted earlier were sufficient to deliver the verdict and no additional hearing was required, he said.

By law, the party can submit additional documents until three days before the day of judgement, the lawyer said, but Thai Raksa Chart will not take the opportunity.

“We believe no further documents or witnesses are needed to make any change to the outcome,” Surachai said. “The ruling will either be dismissal of the case or dissolution of the party. And that’s final. No appeals or complaints against the verdict is allowed by law. So, we respect the court no matter the outcome.”

The lawyer said the party had made the case that it had no intention to go against the tradition of constitutional monarchy and that the EC had unlawfully approached the court without conducting a proper investigation.

Now it was up to the court to make the decision and the party would respect that, he added.

Thai Raksa Chart leaders such as Mitti Tiyapiratch, Nattawut Saikua and Wim Rungwatanachinda were at the party office yesterday to follow the developments closely. Its de jure leader Preechaphol Pongpanit and senior figure Chaturon Chaisang, however, were nowhere to be seen.

With its status as Pheu Thai Party’s major ally designed to win party-list seats in the House of Representatives under the new election system, dissolution of Thai Raksa Chart could deal a massive blow to the Shinawatra camp. Political scientist Stithorn Thananithichot, however, saw a silver lining in the whole development, saying that at least the ruling will be issued 17 days before the election. That would give the party’s supporters adequate time to decide which party they should cast their votes for as an alternative to Thai Raksa Chart, he said.

Alternative strategies

If the votes were strategically aimed at opposing the coup-backed regime, voters could still cast their ballots in favour of other pro-democracy parties, Stithorn said.

The expert added that though it was believed the lawsuit was politically motivated to favour pro-junta parties, they were unlikely to benefit from the dissolution as the court verdict would come well before the election.

If Thai Raksa Chart was dissolved after the election, the votes would have been wasted with voters unable to shift their loyalties to other parties, he explained.

In a related development, the leader of another pro-democracy party, Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, and two of his colleagues were spared detention in a case involving criticism of the junta.

Dashing earlier speculation that the trio would be held in custody, the attorney-general ordered them freed for now, saying they had voluntarily turned themselves in. Bail bond was also waived.

Thanthorn, Klaikong Vaidhyakarn and Charuwan Sarunkate must, however, report to court on March 26, two days after the election, to hear further rulings in the case.

The case arises from an online livestream last year, in which the three had alleged that the junta had tried to lure former MPs to the Phalang Pracharat Party.

The junta, the National Council for Peace and Order, accused them of violating the Computer Crime Act by sharing untruthful information on the internet.

Thanathorn yesterday expressed his gratitude to the attorney-general for his understanding and for not requiring them to periodically report to the police, thus allowing them to focus on their campaign.

Scores of supporters were at the court to give the trio moral support.

The court also said that it will base its decision on documents submitted by the EC and the party without having to call in witnesses.

The EC had called on the court to dissolve the party over its controversial nomination of Princess Ubolratana as a sole PM candidate. The princess is the elder sister of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

The party, allied to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has submitted its defence to court, with its main argument being that the Princess had given her consent for the nomination.

The embattled party’s lawyer recently said Thai Raksa Chart wished the court would deliver its ruling after the March 24 election.

    Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the scion of a billionaire auto-parts maker, is the charismatic frontman of Future Forward, a new party targeting the urban youth vote with a staunchly anti-junta platform.

He has disrupted the Thai political scene, offering a fresh option to the long-standing binary political choice between a royalist, military-aligned bloc or the populist parties of billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thanathorn has drawn an adoring social media following, mainly among young, first-time voters, who appear enamoured as much by his good looks as his policies, dubbing him “Daddy” in a reference to a soap opera character.

    But legal troubles have come in lock-step with popularity.

On Wednesday he appeared at the prosecutor’s office over a case brought by the junta under Thailand’s hardline Computer Crimes Act.

He and two other party officials could face five years in jail if convicted of spreading false information about the junta in a Facebook live broadcast last year.

“We are confident in our innocence and we are confident in people power,” Thanathorn told reporters.

“I think people understand that as the popularity of Future Forward rises … there are efforts to kick out my legs. But we will keep moving forward.”

Prosecutors will again meet on March 26, for further consideration on whether to indict.

Thanathorn later took to Twitter, warning his 182,000 followers “this is not the last hurdle that will obstruct us”.

Future Forward are running candidates in every constituency.

They are eying a possible king-making role in a pro-democracy coalition if elections fail to deliver an outright winner.

Thanathorn has riled the junta with his withering criticism of military spending and the country’s lurch into authoritarianism since then-Army Chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha seized power in 2014.

Prayut wants to return as civilian leader after elections on March 24. Critics say he has loaded Thailand’s politics in his favour, with the senate set to be appointed by his number two.

The gruff retired general this week turned down the chance to join television debates, but insisted he was “not afraid” of public discourse.

Thanathorn has shone in debates so far, skewering the military, vowing to end conscription and to tackle Thailand’s economic inequality.

He has also irked the Thaksin camp, whose parties have won every Thai election since 2001, vowing not to become supplicant to the Shinawatra political machine.

“This election will be the first time I vote,” said a 23-year-old supporter at court on Wednesday, who gave her name only as Ham.

“Thanatorn is smart, he speaks clearly and makes everything easy for us to understand.”

But Future Forward has also been criticised for its focus on Bangkok and being led by children of the elite.

Dashing earlier speculation that the trio would be held in custody, the attorney-general ordered them freed for now, saying they had voluntarily turned themselves in. Bail bond was also waived.

Thanthorn, Klaikong Vaidhyakarn and Charuwan Sarunkate must still be in court on March 26, two days after the election, to hear further rulings in the case.

In an online livestream last year, the three alleged that the junta had tried to lure former MPs to the Phalang Pracharat Party.

The junta, the National Council for Peace and Order, accused them of violating the Computer Crime Act by sharing untruthful information on the internet.

Thanathorn yesterday expressed his gratitude to the attorney-general for his understanding and for not requiring them to periodically report to the police, thus freeing them to focus on their campaign.

Scores of supporters were at the court to give the trio moral support.

The disappearance of political activist Surachai Danwattananusorn and the murder of his two close aides has prompted concern from United Nations officials in Thailand, according to Surachai’s wife.

Pranee Danwattananusorn, whose husband Surachai is believed to have been killed following his disappearance in Laos, said on Tuesday that UN officials would call on Tha Uthen police station in Nakhon Phanom on Monday and Tuesday next week to ask about progress in the investigation.

Earlier this week, Pranee and her lawyer requested Tha Uthen police station to investigate a social-media report that a third body had been found in the Mekong River in late December.

The two bodies retrieved at the time were identified as Surachai’s close aides, Chatcharn Buppawan and Kraidej Luelert. The two men had lived in self-exile with Surachai, who was wanted in Thailand for lese majeste. They were last seen alive together on December 12.

Pranee said she believed Surachai, 77, was the third body that witnesses say they spotted.

She said that at a police friend’s suggestion, she was also considering filing separate complaints with the Crime Suppression Division and the Department of Special Investigation regarding his disappearance and possible murder.

Police Colonel Natee Siriworawat, superintendent of Nakhon Phanom’s Tha Uthen police station, said on Tuesday that police had never been alerted about a third body in the Mekong River at that time.

DISMISSING growing calls to join the prime ministerial debates, junta chief General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday said firmly that he attached no importance to these calls for him to outline his vision, arguing the debate stage was more about politics than policy discussions.

“I’ve long been prepared for this. But today, I just don’t see the necessity to take part,” Prayut said yesterday during his weekly press briefing, when asked about the calls for him to participate in the televised debates. “It’s not about me being scared. It’s just that we only see them attacking each other. There’s no substance. This is no debate.”

Prayut, who is now the sole prime ministerial candidate of the pro-junta Phalang Pracharat Party, stressed that he would not join any of the debate sessions.

“I’m not scared,” the junta chief said. “It’s just that I’m working. I don’t have time for this eloquence thing.” Prayut is known to be short-tempered with limited oral communication and public-speaking skills. So, while most PM candidates from all parties are living up to the election hype and joining the debates to show their leadership vision, all eyes are on the general, waiting to see how he would skirt the challenge.

Other contenders have been picking on Prayut for his absence from the prime ministerial debates.

Political scientists, meanwhile, want all candidates, including the general, to outline their vision to help voters make up their minds before casting their ballots.

‘Self-sufficiency philosophy’

In response, Prayut said plainly yesterday that his vision has been clear all along and can be seen in the government’s tagline: “Security, Prosperity and Sustainability”, which he said was based on the self-sufficiency philosophy of the late King Rama IX.

“That’s all for my vision,” Prayut concluded before elaborating that his government in the past five years had already laid out all the work on national strategy as well as other relevant legislation.

Prior to Prayut’s outright rejection of the debates, his affiliated party, Phalang Pracharat, had appeared reluctant to send him to the debates, citing legal implications given his current status as the PM and head of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

They have sent a query to the Election Commission but the agency has yet to give a reply on the legality.

In a related development, rivals of the coup-installed regime today go on trial in cases whose outcomes could have long-term effects on their political lives.

Pheu Thai ally Thai Raksa Chart today is scheduled to face the Constitutional Court for allegedly undermining the constitutional monarchy system by nominating Princess Ubolratana, the elder sister of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn, as its sole PM candidate.

If ruled guilty, the party could be dissolved and its executives could face a ban from politics for life.

Key Thai Raksa Chart leaders would not join any political rallies today, party member Weng Tojirakran told The Nation. They would see how the situation evolves before resuming their activities, he said.

Constituency candidates, however, would carry on with their campaigns, he added.

The leader of another anti-junta party, Future Forward chief Thanathorn Jungroongruangkit, will meet the attorney-general today after having been accused by the NCPO of violating the computer crime.

Thanathorn and two other party members have been accused of entering false information into the computer system, after they criticised the junta’s bid to recruit former MPs to the Phalang Pracharat Party in an online livestream last year.

The trio could be detained today if ordered by the court, according to Thanathorn.

Pro-right organisation iLaw yesterday pointed out this should not result in disqualification of the three from running in the election, as it was not the final judgement of the court.

However, the lawsuit and the imprisonment would have an impact on the fortunes of Thanathorn and the party, as they would have to divide their attention between the election campaign and fighting the case, iLaw said.

EC secretary-general Jarungwit Phumma said this decision was made in response to a petition from a Buddhist coordination centre, which questioned a candidate’s use of the Lord Buddha in his campaign banner.

“Using religion is not against election-related laws,” Jarungwit explained.

Paiboon Nititawan, leader of the People Reform Party, has been promising to solve the country’s problems through Buddhism in his campaign.

Paiboon’s campaign posters say that his party will rely on Buddha’s teachings to help solve poverty and hardship. However, the extra-large words “Lord Buddha” on the poster caught the attention of people, prompting the centre to ask questions. Paiboon has also been using this tagline on his social media platforms including Facebook.