Thailand: Banned Opposition Leader Urges Judiciary Reform

“Politics must reform the judiciary”, Pita Limjaroenrat, Thailand’s recently banned opposition figure has said. He added that this move is to prevent interventions that have the country “going around in circles.”.

Limjaroenrat’s now defunct Move Forward Party was blocked from forming a government last year. He added that a 10-year political ban would not weaken his resolve to lead Thailand and start major reforms, including stopping independent institutions from being politicised.

Multiple government’s have toppled in Thailand’s tumultuous two-decade cycle of court rulings. This has been caused by a power struggle between powerful elected parties and established military or key institutions.

This pattern has “achieved nothing for the people,” Pita said, reflecting on the dissolvement of the Move Forward Party. “We confuse movement with progress,” he said. “It’s almost like we’re going around in circles and we’re thinking we’re going somewhere but actually we’re going nowhere.”

More than 130 Thai academics and legal experts have also criticised the court, in addition to Pita. They said that the court has overstepped its jurisdiction and damaged the public’s trust in democratic and legal systems.

During Move Forward’s band, Pita will return to Harvard University as a democracy fellow. He aims to amend a law that punishes royal insults up to 15 years in jail. This is the very campaign that the court said undermined Thailand’s constitutional monarchy.”

THAILAND’S SHAKY POLITICS

Pita is forced to move onto the sideline despite leading a surprise election victory and being popular. This provides a brief insight into Thailand’s aggressive and fierce politics. He has polled consistently as the most preferred PM choice in Thailand, even after military senators put an end to his bid as premier.

The two verdicts shook Thai politics and sparked concerns about the outlook for its stagnating economy.

Meanwhile, Move Forward has formed a new vehicle – the People’s Party. The Pheu Thai Party-led coalition rallied behind formed Thai PM Srettha Thavisin’s replacement, Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Shinawatra won the overwhelming backing of parliament on Friday and was endorsed by the king on Sunday.

She is the daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, whose populist parties have been worst hit by Thailand’s tumult. He is indicted for an alleged royal insult, though his lawyer on Monday said witness testimony will not start until July 2025.

‘WILL WAIT FOR MY TIME’

Pita and his 43 colleagues could face another pending case over one of their campaigns and face lifetime political bans. He said this shows that elected politicians need to reform institutions such as courts to provide accountability to the public.

“Penalising someone for differing ethical or moral standards is a bit too much for our democracy,” he said.

Pita is planning to give speeches on Southeast Asia affairs and write a historical account of this political ride and return stronger.

“I’ll be waiting for my time, you know I still very much want to bring about change in Thailand,” he said.

(With inputs from Reuters)