Pita Limjaroenrat officially stepped down as leader of the progressive Move Forward Party on Friday amid failed attempts to get elected as the 30th Prime Minister of Thailand.
The Constitutional Court suspended him from his MP duties pending its ruling on whether he violated the law by running for office while holding shares in a now-defunct media company owned by his family.
The suspension banned him from being elected as prime minister and as opposition leader.
As a result, he decided to resign so that another member of the parliament would be able to fulfill the duties of an opposition leader, which he described as necessary in the parliamentary system due to its role in performing checks and balances in the government and pushing for changes that are missing from the government’s policy.
He led the Move Forward Party from March 14, 2020, to September 15, 2023.
The 43-year-old promised to make changes in the constitution, particularly the Lese Majeste Law, once he became the prime minister, which caused him to be blocked by legislators supporting the military and the royal family.
Former ally and real estate tycoon Srettha Thavisin was declared the new Prime Minister of Thailand in August, which ended months of political deadlock. Srettah was one of the prime ministerial candidates of the Pheu Thai Party, which ended its coalition with the Move Forward Party in early August.
