In the swirling tempest of politics, where fortunes can flip with the fickle winds of fate, stands a man — the once-PM-designate — teetering on the precipice of his political future. “I have done my best in whatever is within my control,” he quipped, declaring an unwavering resolve despite the tumult that encircles him.
Our subject, Pita, finds his political trajectory hinging not on his capability to lead but rather the contentious ownership of some unassuming iTV shares worth, hold your breath, a mere 5 baht each. To clarify, these shares, he insists, are merely remnants of his father Pongsak’s estate, of which he is the executor. A mantle he assumed not out of desire but dutiful necessity following his father’s death in 2006.
The plot thickens like a good stew as Pita finds himself accused of maintaining a 42,000-share grip in iTV when the call to run in the May 14, 2023, general election beckoned. But the shares, he staunchly maintains, were transferred to his brother’s name well before he embarked on his political odyssey. “I had no influence over the media company. I had no political advantage by being a legal executor,” he reiterated, hoping to allay any suspicion of impropriety.
Rear its head did the specter of scandal, when Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, a name synonymous with serial complaints and tethered to the Palang Pracharat Party, implored the keen eyes of the Election Commission to scrutinize Pita’s shareholding, questioning its legality with the fervor of one possessed. Surely, Ruangkrai contended, this transgressed the Constitution’s Article 98, a bulwark against those clad in press and politics simultaneously.
The Constitutional Court, swift in its action like a hawk upon its prey, suspended Pita from his elected duties and Parliament deliberated briskly, with even junta-picked senators lending their voices in cacophony, pronouncing that Pita, alas, could not be presented again for the coveted premier’s role.
Meanwhile, in the citadel of the Move Forward Party, confidence abounds. Parit Wacharasindhu, a mover and shaker of the party himself, expressed an unwavering belief that our beleaguered former chief would navigate the murky waters of this legal maelstrom and emerge in the hallowed halls of Parliament once more. “We [the party] are confident he can pull through and get a favourable, fair ruling,” Parit declared with optimism sauce served on the side. Caution still dances in their collective stance, though, for confidence must not slip into complacency.
And what of the doomsday scenario? Should the gavel fall unfavorably against him — “I will still be a politician, but just outside the Parliament,” Pita proclaims. He paints a vivid picture of his unbridled political passion: speech-making, vote-casting, championing the voice of the people, and crafting progressive legislation. “And then you will see me again in the next election as a PM candidate,” he assures with a smile that speaks of defiance in the face of adversity.
Skating on the blade’s edge, however, is the somewhat overlooked Article 151 of the Election Act, wielding a punishing 20-year exile for those who tempt political fate after disqualification. And according to Stithorn Thananithichot, esteemed political scientist extraordinaire, the voracious legal appetite of these proceedings seems unlikely to be sated anytime soon. He conjures the haunting memory of Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit’s languishing legal dance, a saga of snail-paced progress despite its 2020 filing. The Future Forward Party’s dissolution becomes a cautionary tale, with a shadow that looms over Pita and his party, now wading through the quagmire of lese majeste law reform charges.
So, we sit perched on the edges of our seats, immersed in the unfolding drama, as Pita navigates the intricate labyrinth of legal warfare. With the commitment of a protagonist undeterred, we wait, breath held, to see if Pita will emerge the victor, steering the ship of the Move Forward Party towards the shores of political vindication or if the tempest proves too mighty for even his fortitude.
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