Thai election panel wants to dissolve the party that nominated princess for prime minister
The election commission said the party had violated an electoral law with the nomination of the king’s sister.
Thailand's election commission is looking at dissolving the Thai Raksa Chart party, the party which nominated princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi, the king’s older sister, to run for prime minister. The party is allied to divisive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The election commission said the party had violated an electoral law with the nomination of the king’s sister. The move is considered as ‘antagonistic toward the constitutional monarchy’, the commission said.
The court will be deciding on Thursday whether it would accept the case on the dismissal of the Thai party.
Disbanding the party could anger Mr Thaksin’s supporters. However, it could help boost junta chief Prayuth Chan-Ocha’s chances of staying on as prime minister.
Last week, Thailand's election panel said it had excluded princess Ubolratana because 'every member of the royal family comes within the application of the same rule requiring the monarch to be above politics and to be politically neutral'.
Thai monarch regarded to be above politics
On Monday, the election commission disqualified the princess on the application candidacy. Thailand’s king Maha Vajiralongkorn had opposed to his sister’s political foray, calling it ‘inappropriate’ and unconstitutional.
The king called the monarchy 'the centre that glues the hearts of the Thai people together,' and said both 'the monarch and the royal family members are above politics'.
In a statement from the royal palace issued moments after the news on the princess agreeing to stand as prime minister broke last week, it said the 'involvement of a high-ranking member of the royal family in politics... is considered extremely inappropriate'.
On Tuesday, princess Ubolratana apologized for causing problems for the people.
'I am sorry my genuine intention to work for the country and Thai people has caused such problems that shouldn’t have happened in this era,' she said on Instagram after making a public appearance in central Thailand.
The royal family has traditionally stayed away from the political strive in the country. Thailand is used to treating top royals as semi-divine and apolitical.
Thailand is set to hold a general election on March 24th.
IGA, may distribute information/research produced by its respective foreign affiliates within the IG Group of companies pursuant to an arrangement under Regulation 32C of the Financial Advisers Regulations. Where the research is distributed in Singapore to a person who is not an Accredited Investor, Expert Investor or an Institutional Investor, IGA accepts legal responsibility for the contents of the report to such persons only to the extent required by law. Singapore recipients should contact IGA at 6390 5118 for matters arising from, or in connection with the information distributed.
The information/research herein is prepared by IG Asia Pte Ltd (IGA) and its foreign affiliated companies (collectively known as the IG Group) and is intended for general circulation only. It does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation, or particular needs of any particular person. You should take into account your specific investment objectives, financial situation, and particular needs before making a commitment to trade, including seeking advice from an independent financial adviser regarding the suitability of the investment, under a separate engagement, as you deem fit.
No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently, any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Please see important Research Disclaimer.
Please also note that the information does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. Any views and opinions expressed may be changed without an update.
European Central Bank meeting
Learn about how the ECB meeting affects interest rates and price stability ahead of the next announcement.
- How might the next meeting affect the markets?
- What are the key rate decisions to watch?
- Why is the Governing Council announcement important for traders?
Live prices on most popular markets
- Forex
- Shares
- Indices
See more forex live prices
See more shares live prices
Prices above are subject to our website terms and agreements. Prices are indicative only. All shares prices are delayed by at least 15 mins.
See more indices live prices
Prices above are subject to our website terms and agreements. Prices are indicative only. All shares prices are delayed by at least 20 mins.
