BANGKOK, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Constitutional Court on Wednesday accepted a petition by the country's Election Commission (EC) to disband the main opposition Move Forward Party over its efforts to amend the royal defamation law.
The EC provided sufficient evidence to believe that the Move Forward Party had violated the law. The party has 15 days to submit its defense, the court said in a statement.
The decision came after the Constitutional Court in January ruled the Move Forward Party to cease all attempts to amend the lese-majeste law, claiming campaigning on the issue had violated the constitution.
The lese-majeste law, or Section 112 of the Criminal Code, stipulates that whoever defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the Heir-apparent or the regent, shall be punished with imprisonment of three to 15 years.
The Move Forward Party emerged as the largest party in the lower house of the National Assembly in Thailand's general election last year, but its prime minister candidate fell short of securing the majority support of the parliamentarians. ■
