Future Forward Leaders Brace For Judgement Day

Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit embraces his supporter during his visit to Wongwian Yai Market on Jan. 19, 2020.
Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit embraces his supporter during his visit to Wongwian Yai Market on Jan. 19, 2020.

BANGKOK — Future Forward Party on Monday urged its supporters to stand in solidarity with the party as the Constitutional Court is due to decide on its fate tomorrow.

Party spokeswoman Pannika Wanich said the party executives and MPs will not attend Tuesday’s verdict in person, but will gather at the party headquarters and watch the live broadcast of the session instead. She also urged party supporters to gather there and follow the news together.

“Dissolution of a political party is not a common thing under the democratic system,” Pannika said. “This should not be happening because dissolving a party equals destroying people’s political will. This will intensify people’s discontent with the current political structure.”

A complaint filed to the Constitutional Court accused the Future Forward Party of seeking to overthrow the country’s constitutional monarchy. The plaintiff also cited the party’s alleged ties to the fictitious New World Order cult as evidence, earning the court case a nickname of “Illuminati Case.”

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Judges will rule whether party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, sec-gen Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, and other party’s executives violated the constitution by acting in opposition to the monarchy.

More than 150 police officers will be deployed at the court to keep the order while the verdict is read, deputy metro police chief Somprasong Yentuam said. The police asked supporters to keep clear of the court area and refrain from the use of megaphones or political banners.

According to the complaint filed in July by lawyer and a former chief advisor to the ombudsman Natthaporn Toprayoon, the party leaders appeared to harbor ill intent toward the monarchy.

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He also said the party’s triangular logo bears a close resemblance to the emblem of the secret society Illuminati, believed by fringe conspiracy theorists to be a small league of elites who seek to foment chaos and create the so-called New World Order.

If found guilty, the party could be disbanded and its executives banned from politics for up to 10 years.

Piyabutr said on Saturday he has already prepared for the worst case scenario. Piyabutr said a new party was already set up as a surrogate party where Future Forward MPs could migrate to in the event of a dissolution. He did not disclose the new party name.