Thai party linked to princess faces dissolution
BANGKOK: Thailand’s election commission yesterday asked the constitutional court to dissolve a political party that put forward a princess as candidate for prime minister, days after the move earned a royal rebuke from her brother, the king.
Thailand has been mired in political drama since Friday, when Princess Ubolratana’s name was submitted by Thai Raksa Chart, a party allied with the powerful Shinawatra clan.
Ubolratana’s unprecedented bid to enter frontline politics unravelled within hours after King Maha Vajiralongkorn decried the entry of a royal into the political fray as “highly inappropriate”.
Thailand’s monarchy is seen as above politics, although royals have intervened in public during times of political crisis.
The princess was disqualified as a candidate by the Election Commission, which then filed a request with the constitutional court to have Thai Raksa Chart disbanded for bringing a royal family member into politics.
“That action is considered hostile to the constitutional monarchy,” it said.
The monarchy in Thailand is considered sacred and revered by its people, and is under the protection of draconian lese majeste laws.
The scuttling of her candidacy and potential moves to dissolve the Thai Raksa Chart party is a blow to the political machine of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. The party was set to add to the vote bank of the bigger Shinawatra electoral vehicle, Pheu Thai, in an election where secondary parties are targeting seats via the party list system.
Parties overseen by Thaksin have won all elections since 2001.
Thaksin and his sister Yingluck, who was overthrown in the 2014 coup, live abroad to avoid convictions they say are politically motivated.