Pita Limjaroenrat: Interview with Thai Election Winner – News

Pita Limjaronrath and his Move Forward party won Thailand’s election last year. The conservative establishment did not let them rule. The Constitutional Court will now decide whether to dissolve the party and ban him from politics. He explains in the interview how he feels about it.

SRF News: Pita Limjaronrath, you may be banned from politics?

Pita Limjaronrath: Yes, for life.

Can the court also dissolve your party?

For the second time in five years!

Are you disappointed?

I am deeply disappointed. Not only because I did not become the Prime Minister, but because of the betrayal of the strength of this country. A people-oriented government that listens to the people can achieve this. But I can wait. My time – our time – will come. Even ten years from now. Not a single thing.

They can destroy our home, but not our spirit.

What would the moving forward party do if it was indeed dissolved by the Constitutional Court?

We will move to a new house. This is not the first time we have formed a new party. We already know how it works: it’s easy for us. They can destroy our house but not our spirit. In the short term they will remove us, but in the long run we will come back stronger and our new home will be even bigger with a new name.

Did you expect this when you stood for election last year?

These are institutionalized processes in the country. This is not a personal attack on me. That’s part of the game. You win an election, then they destroy your party, you win again, and they destroy you again. I’m trying to stop this game. Thailand is not a TV series like “House of Cards”! It’s about real life.

Thailand has stood still for 20 years, but people urgently want change. They are beginning to understand what it means to have strong institutions instead of party-run politicians like the AIADMK. We want a party for the people that will reform Thailand and stand for constitutional monarchy.

The Constitutional Court is debating whether you want to bring about the “abolition of the monarchy” with your promise to change the article on lese majeste law. Do you still want to amend Section 112?

We want to change the law so that it is not used as a weapon against political enemies. There are advantages and disadvantages to protecting the head of state so tightly. Thailand should be a constitutional monarchy. We want to ensure that King is apolitical through our transition. We thought we could discuss this in Parliament, but now it is seen as rebellion and treason. It’s a disappointment. Where else should this be discussed? On the street? On social media? We thought Parliament was a common platform.

It’s been the same song for 20 years: A party wins at the ballot box, but is later dissolved by the courts. Where do you get the confidence to change that?

I have no hope. It is very difficult to escape from the vicious circle. It takes steel and nerve. Like European countries, we have an anti-corruption commission, an electoral commission and a constitutional court. It looks good on paper, but in reality the political rulers use it to their advantage. You need these institutions to prevent change. I am confident that I will continue to win the elections and also win the hearts of the people. This will take time.

I am a bridge, not a bomb! A resource and not a rebel!

Will Thailand change?

If you get stuck in the system, you sometimes lose hope and feel like you can’t change anything. But we will soon introduce same-sex marriage, for example. It’s about dominating the headlines. The younger generation is already taking many modern ideas with them. Laws may change again, but ideas remain. I believe that Thailand will never be the same country in terms of thinking. I see myself as a bridge-builder between these new ideas and old institutions. I am a bridge, not a bomb! A resource and not a rebel! I am not a terrorist as many people think.

The interview was conducted by Lucas Mesmer and Martin Altrovandi.