FFP ruling must be fair
Members and supporters of the Future Forward Party (FFP) are holding their breath today with the Constitutional Court set to make a historic ruling that could result in the party’s dissolution. The case was brought to court early last year by Natthaporn Toprayoon, a lawyer and former adviser to the chief ombudsman who accused the FFP of trying to overthrow the monarchy, citing its to alleged links to the fabled Illuminati secret society. This, he said, was tantamount to violating Section 49 of the charter which prohibits actions that undermine the monarchy.
To support his accusation, the complainant pointed out that the party’s logo — if reversed — looks similar to the triangle symbol associated with the Illuminati. Many observers scoffed at the claim, in turn pointing out that the Illuminati is a fictional creation probably best known from Dan Brown’s best-seller The Da Vinci Code.
Mr Natthaporn insisted that since the Illuminati is said to be behind plots to overthrow monarchies in Europe, the FFP is therefore a threat to the highest institution in Thailand. Moreover, he accused FFP leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and party executives of making speeches and statements that challenged the establishment.
Despite many cautions that the Illuminati charge is bizarre, given the fact that the secret society’s existence has never been proven, the court accepted the petition for consideration with a verdict set for today.
The case has sparked widespread controversy, prompting the charter court to warn people not to commit contempt of court after the party released a video clip on its Facebook page denying the charges.
The case is the first major legal hurdle the FFP has faced. But the new party is also facing other charges, including that it accepted 191 million baht in loans from Mr Thanathorn. If found guilty on that charge, it could also face dissolution, with its executives banned from politics.
A number of analysts have expressed concerns of a “dire outcome” if today’s court verdict results in the party’s disbandment. This would risk plunging the country into another round of political polarisation, they say. Those concerns are both accurate and valid.
It’s true that with its blunt policies and challenges — seen by many as leftist — the FFP has agitated the elite and powers-that-be. For many observers this is the real cause of its trouble. But the party and its executives are entitled to a fair trial on all charges they face. The fact that the party was able to build up such a large political base in a short time shows that it is a legitimate representative of hopes among many Thai people.
No matter what the court decides today, it can avoid a negative outcome by showing that its ruling is clear and in line with the facts and reason. This it must do in order to ensure the decision is not perceived as politically motivated or unjustly biased.
More importantly, given there are no signs of political reconciliation or unity, all political factions including those in power must acknowledge it is wrong to draw the high institution into politics. Any such actions will do more harm than good to the establishment. It’s the duty of all to strictly observe the principle that the monarchy is above politics.
Analysts have expressed concerns of a ‘dire outcome’ if today’s court verdict results in the party’s disbandment.