MOVE Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat has been suspended from his role as an elected member of the House of Representatives by the constitutional court on Wednesday causing him to walk out from the chamber in front of his fellow lawmakers earlier today.
The court’s decision came after accepting a case that Pita was unqualified to run in May’s election due to his ownership of shares in the now-defunct media company, iTV public company limited.
The judges unanimously agreed to accept the case and suspend him from his parliament duties until the ruling is delivered.
The court instructed the Move Forward Party leader to provide his explanation within 15 days of receiving a copy of the ruling.
By Wednesday afternoon, Pita left the chamber after the court’s suspension order had arrived.
The 42-year-old raised his fist in the air as he left the assembly floor.
Fellow lawmakers gave him a round of applause while the parliament president thanked him for respecting the rules.
A political activist who filed the complaint in May pointed out that Pita’s media shares violated the constitution.
And his assets were not declared when he assumed the post of MP in May 2019.
Pita has argued the 42,000 shares were part of his late father’s estate and he was just assigned as manager of the family heritage while the title had since been transferred to relatives.
The court suspension however does not prevent the MFP leader from being nominated as prime minister.
A spokesman for the US Department of State earlier this week said that Washington is monitoring the post-election developments in Thailand and expressed concern about the legal system in the Southeast Asian nation.
