2020 Move Forward Party leadership election
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2020 Move Forward Party leadership election
| flag_image = Move_Forward_Party_Logo.svg
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| next_election = 2023 Move Forward Party leadership election
| next_year = 2023
| election_date = 14 March 2020
| 1blank = Caucus
| image1 = 130px
| candidate1 = Pita Limjaroenrat
| popular_vote1 = Unopposed
| colour1 = {{party color|Move Forward Party}}
| title = Leader
| posttitle =
| before_election = Office established
| after_election = Pita Limjaroenrat
}}The 2020 Move Forward Party leadership election was held on 14 March 2020 to determine the first leader of the Move Forward Party (MFP). Pita Limjaroenrat, a member of the dissolved Future Forward Party who had served as a party-list Member of the House of Representatives since 2019, was elected unopposed one month after the Future Forward Party was dissolved.
Background
The pro-democracy Future Forward Party, which had come in third place in the 2019 general election with 81 seats, was dissolved by order of the Constitutional Court on 21 February 2020.{{Cite web |title=Thai court dissolves opposition party Future Forward {{!}} Thailand {{!}} The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/21/thai-court-dissolves-opposition-party-future-forward |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=amp.theguardian.com}} The Court stated that the reasoning for the dissolution was over alleged violations of political fundraising laws.{{Cite web |date=2020-02-21 |title=Thai pro-democracy party dissolved over loan |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-51585347 |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}} The dissolution drew criticism from commentators in and outside Thailand, who characterized it as part of the military's continued interference in Thai politics, noting that the party's vocal anti-military position made it a target and that the other parties' finances were not similarly scrutinized.{{Cite web |date=2020-02-22 |title=ปิดฉาก 708 วัน เมื่อ "พรรคอนาคตใหม่" ถูกลบชื่อออกจากการเมืองไทย |url=https://www.sanook.com/news/8037770/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.sanook.com/news |language=th}}
Future Forward Leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and other party executives were given a 10-year ban from political activities in Thailand.{{Cite web |last=Olarn |first=Helen Regan,Kocha |date=2020-03-09 |title=Why billionaire commoner Thanathorn won’t stop fighting for Thai democracy, even if it means jail time |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/09/asia/thanathorn-thailand-democracy-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=CNN |language=en}} After this, 55 of the defunct Future Forward Party's 65 Members of the House of Representatives joined the Move Forward Party, which had been founded in 2014. Move Forward thus acted as the de facto successor to Future Forward.{{Cite news |last= |first=|title=Move Forward Party to be Future home for 55 FFP MPs |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/1874304/move-forward-party-to-be-future-home-for-55-ffp-mps |access-date=2024-07-22 |work=Bangkok Post |language=en}} The pro-democracy and progressive ideology of the Move Forward Party mirrored that of Future Forward.{{Cite news |last=Techakitteranun |first=Hathai |date=2020-03-08 |title=New Thai party to replace dissolved Future Forward |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/new-thai-party-to-replace-dissolved-future-forward |access-date=2024-07-22 |work=The Straits Times |language=en |issn=0585-3923}}
Candidates
= Designated leader =
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" |Candidate !Positions !Announced |
| 116x116px
|Member of the House of Representatives (2019–present) Businessman (2005–2019) |21 February 2020{{Cite news |last= |first= |title=Pita takes helm of new party in wake of FFP demise |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/1874384/pita-takes-helm-of-new-party-in-wake-of-ffp-demise |access-date=2024-07-22 |work=Bangkok Post |language=en}} |
= Declined =
- Chaithawat Tulathon, Member of the House of Representatives (2019–present) (endorsed Pita)
Process
Pita Limjaroenrat, an MP elected in 2019, was designated as the leader of the remaining Future Forward party MPs in February 2020. Educated in the United States and New Zealand, Pita was originally a businessman who joined Future Forward as a party-list MP in the 2019 election.{{Cite web |last=Sunshine |first=Summer |date=2019-04-06 |title=ทิม-พิธา ลิ้มเจริญรัตน์ จากเด็กเกเร สู่การเป็นนักธุรกิจหนุ่มคนเก่ง |url=https://campus.campus-star.com/variety/107211.html |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=Campus : Campus Star |language=en-US}} He had already gained some prominence for his "Five-Button Theory,” which advocated for focus on key agricultural policies, including land ownership, farmers' debts, cannabis, agro-tourism, and water resources.{{Cite web |last=Boonbandit |first=Tappanai |date=July 30, 2019 |title=PARINA SLAMS FUTURE FORWARD MP’S SEPARATION WITH SERIES OF COMMANDMENTS |url=https://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2019/07/30/parina-slams-future-forward-mps-separation-with-series-of-commandments/ |website=khaosodenglish.com}}
On 8 March 2020, he announced that he and the other 55 MPs would join the Move Forward Party. Pita vowed that as party leader, he would continue the progressive and anti-junta agenda begun by Future Forward.
Results
As Pita was the only candidate put forward for party leadership, he was unanimously elected Leader of the Move Forward Party on 14 March 2020 during an extraordinary meeting of the party.{{Cite web |date=2020-03-14 |title=Pita takes the reins of Move Forward Party, the 'second chapter of Future Forward' |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30384102 |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=nationthailand |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2020-03-09 |title=Real tests await Pita as leader of Future Forward’s reincarnation - Thai PBS World |url=https://www.thaipbsworld.com/real-tests-await-pita-as-leader-of-future-forwards-reincarnation/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |language=en-US}} He took office as leader that same day, reiterating his calls to keep the ideology of Future Forward alive in the new party. Pita also said he would focus on a “collective strategy” that would prioritize synergism among party members. Chaithawat Tulathon, another party-list MP was chosen as the party's Secretary-General on the same day.{{Cite news |last= |first= |title=Pita tries to keep FFP ideology alive |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/1878645/pita-tries-to-keep-ffp-ideology-alive |access-date=2024-07-22 |work=Bangkok Post |language=en}}{{Election results|cand1=Pita Limjaroenrat|votes1=56|party1=Move Forward Party}}Pita would later describe himself as the “designated survivor” to lead the new party.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axx_DuHNSVk |title='To be clear, I won the election': Thai opposition leader Pita Limjaroenrat speaks to FRANCE 24 |date=2024-05-11 |last=FRANCE 24 English |access-date=2024-07-22 |via=YouTube}} Move Forward confirmed in October 2021 that he would be the party's nominee for Prime Minister after the next general election.{{Cite news |last= |first= |title=Move Forward"s Pita announces bid for prime minister |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2199191/move-forwards-pita-announces-bid-for-prime-minister |access-date=2024-07-22 |work=Bangkok Post |language=en}}