The Constitutional Court may allow the Move Forward Party (MFP) more time to file its defence in the dissolution case against it, the court's president, Nakharin Mektrairat, said on Wednesday.
He said if the MFP seeks more time to submit its defence, the court will consider extending the deadline for submitting the documents by another 15 days, starting on April 17.
In light of this, it is impossible for the court to hand down a ruling in the dissolution case this month, Mr Nakharin said, adding that it is still not known whether the MFP will also seek witness hearings in the case.
On April 3, the Constitutional Court accepted a petition by the Election Commission (EC) seeking the MFP's dissolution and gave the MFP 15 days to file its defence.
MFP leader Thawatchai Tulathon earlier said the MFP was compiling rebuttals of the dissolution allegations.
The case is complex and involves a great deal of paperwork. The court has the power to extend the deadline for submitting essential defence documents, he said.
Mr Thawatchai said the party needs more time to study the petition filed by the EC. He would have to establish if the petition implicates the 44 MFP lawmakers who co-signed a document calling for changes to the lese majeste law.
The EC has urged the court to dissolve the MFP under Section 92 of the Political Parties Act.
Under the law, the EC is empowered to propose the dissolution of a party to the court if it has obtained enough evidence of an act deemed hostile to the democratic system with the King as head of state.
The action was taken in response to a court ruling on Jan 31 in which the MFP was found to have pushed for changes to Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese majeste law, indicating an intention to undermine the constitutional monarchy.
As an agency enforcing the Political Parties Act, the EC acted against the MFP as the Jan 31 ruling presented grounds for dissolution.
In its ruling on Jan 31, the court also ordered the MFP to cease all attempts to rewrite Section 112.
It said campaigning on the issue is considered an attempt to end the constitutional monarchy and violates the constitution.
The judges pointed to the past actions of Pita Limjaroenrat, the party's former leader, as well as those conducted by the MFP in general, including its applications to grant bail for suspects in lese majeste cases.
Nakharin: Deadline may be extended
