The Election Commission (EC) has extended its investigation into Pita Limjaroenrat, the prime ministerial candidate and leader of the Move Forward Party, concerning his eligibility to run in elections.
The move follows accusations that Pita knowingly registered to run for a parliamentary seat despite being ineligible under Article 151 of the MP Election Act due to his holdings of shares in the now-defunct iTV media company.
According to EC secretary-general Sawang Boonmee, the probe has been extended for an additional 15 days from July 4.
The EC has also forwarded information regarding Move Forward’s policy advocating for the possibility of amending and abolishing the criminal code of Section 112 to the Attorney General. The EC is requesting clarity on whether the policy, which has been a point of contention, is in violation of any legal regulations or norms.
However, the registrar of political parties did not previously accept a petition filed against Move Forward over this issue, stating that there was insufficient evidence or information to suggest any actions which would constitute a threat to the monarchy – a fundamental institution under the democratic system. Despite this, the EC has ordered further investigation into whether the accused actions may infringe upon any other legal provisions.
The EC’s decision was in response to the Constitutional Court’s order for the Attorney General to clarify its position on this matter, in line with Article 49 of the Constitution, which deals with threats to the royal institution. (NNT)
