Prawit warns Thanathorn: ‘No protests’

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon warned Future Forward Party (FFP) leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit not to instigate any street protests in the wake of the Constitutional Court’s ruling to disqualify him as an MP in a media-shareholding case.

Gen Prawit made the comments when asked about the party’s ongoing campaigns, such as the call for the abolition of military conscription, and push for constitutional amendment.

“Let them campaign as long as it is not against the law,” Gen Prawit said.

Mr Thanathorn yesterday insisted on his innocence in the media-shareholding case, saying he will give his interpretation of the ruling soon.

He also dismissed rumours that he will run in the Bangkok governor election as an alternative now that he has been stripped of his MP status.

He added that he will continue efforts to strengthen the FFP and prepare candidates for local elections, campaign for charter amendments, and push for the military service bill under which his party wants to replace conscription with voluntary service.

Mr Thanathorn was also invited to speak at a seminar on political leaders and Thailand’s future, organised by the Election Commission’s Political and Electoral Development Institute.

At the seminar, he said that though he is no longer an MP, he wanted to propose what he called “Thailand 3D”, which will restore democracy, curtail the military’s role, end power centralisation in Bangkok and delegate power to local bodies in the provinces.

Activist and prolific petitioner Srisuwan Janya said he will today petition the court to investigate whether Mr Thanathorn’s comments on the court’s ruling on his status as an MP constitute contempt of court.

After leaving the courtroom on Wednesday, Mr Thanathorn told reporters: “The reasons that the court used ... were only assumptions, without any scientific facts.”