Election Commission Confirms People’s Party Has Time to Establish Required Branches
PUBLISHED: 14 Aug 2024 at 15:08
The People’s Party is in a position to establish the necessary branches to comply with legal requirements, although it must thoroughly vet its donors to mitigate the risk of dissolution, according to the Election Commission.
This political entity, which emerged from the dissolved Move Forward Party, is navigating its transition following last week’s ruling by the Constitutional Court, which deemed the party’s proposals to amend the lese-majeste law as a potential threat to the constitutional monarchy.
In the wake of the dissolution, all 143 former members of the Move Forward Party promptly joined the lesser-known Thinkakhaochaovilai Party, which has been on record with the Election Commission for a decade without electing a member of parliament. Subsequently, it was rebranded as the People’s Party.
The Election Commission noted that the Thinkakhaochaovilai Party had reported on April 4 the closure of three branches, retaining only one in Chiang Mai. Therefore, the People’s Party now has until April 3, 2025, to open at least one branch in each region of the country to adhere to regulatory standards.
This statement came as a response to inquiries from the ultra-royalist Thai Pakdee Party regarding the branch sufficiency of the People’s Party. Thai Pakdee also raised concerns over the legitimacy of donations received by the new party.
The Election Commission clarified that while the People’s Party can accept donations through the verified bank account of the Thinkakhaochaovilai Party, it must ensure that all donors meet legal qualifications to avoid any implications of dissolution.
In its initial three days of operation, the People’s Party successfully registered 50,000 members and amassed over 25 million baht in campaign contributions, the majority being contributions of 500 baht or less for membership fees.
