- Title: Thailand's disbanded opposition regroups under new anti-establishment party
- Date: 9th August 2024
- Summary: BANGKOK, THAILAND (AUGUST 9, 2024) (REUTERS) MEMBERS OF DISBANDED OPPOSITION MOVE FORWARD PARTY ATTENDING MEETING TO ELECT LEADER OF THEIR NEW “PEOPLE’S PARTY” (RIGHT) LEADER OF PEOPLE’S PARTY, NATTHAPHONG RUENGPANYAWU, TALKING TO SOMEONE NATTHAPHONG SMILING PARTY MEETING IN PROGRESS VOTING BOOTHS PARTY MEMBERS SIGN READING (Thai): “MEMBERS OF PARTY” NATTHAPHONG WALKING IN
- Embargoed: 23rd August 2024 08:13
- Keywords: Bangkok Constitutional Court Future Forward party Khana Ratsadon Move Forward Party Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut People's Party Thailand disbanded lese-majeste politics
- Location: BANGKOK, THAILAND
- City: BANGKOK, THAILAND
- Country: Thailand
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001561909082024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thailand's disbanded opposition Move Forward unveiled on Friday (August 9) a new leadership and political vehicle that will become the biggest party in parliament, naming it People's Party, and promising to advance its predecessor's progressive platform.
The anti-establishment Move Forward, which won the most seats in the last election but was blocked from forming a government, was dissolved by the Constitutional Court on Wednesday (August 7), which ruled that the party’s plan to amend a law that shields the royal family from criticism risked undermining democracy and the constitutional monarchy.
All 143 surviving lawmakers of Move Forward have joined the new party to be led by 37-year-old Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, a former executive of a cloud software company who joined Move Forward in 2019.
Move Forward's liberal agenda won massive support from young and urban voters, but its plans which included reforming the military and dismantling business monopolies worth billions of dollars each year earned it some powerful enemies.
(Production: Artorn Pookasook, Napat Wesshasartar) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None