Parliament officials remove morale-boosting sticker from FFP's room

Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit signs a large stick-on banner outside the party's room at the parliament building. His MPs then wrote messages of support on it. The banner was deemed inappropriate and removed by parliamentary officials on Monday night. (Photo by Aekarach Sattaburuth)

Parliamentary officials have removed a large banner featuring messages of support for Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit from the door to the party’s room inside the building, deeming it inappropriate.

Issara Seriwatthanawut, secretary to the parliament president, said on Tuesday that officials of the parliamentary secretariat had removed the stick-on banner from the FFP’s door on the third floor of the building on Monday night. It was removed in the interests of the orderliness of the parliament, which is a government office.

Parliament President Chuan Leekpai was consulted before the action was taken, said Mr Issara, a Democrat Party list-MP.

Parliament officials respected all MPs and all parties, because they were elected by the voters, but the parliament was an honourable venue and government office, and people could not just write and put up anything they wanted. They should show a sense of respect, Mr Issara said.

The banner was signed by the party leader, along with messages of support written by FFP MPs. It was posted on the door in front of the room on the third floor of the parliament building before Mr Thanathorn went to the Constitutional Court on Nov 20 to hear its ruling invalidating his election as a list-MP.

The case was submitted by the Election Commission, which accused Mr Thanathorn of having shares in a media company when he registered as a candidate, in violation of the 2017 Constitution.

Before hearing the ruling on Nov 20, Mr Thanathorn met with his party's MPs at the parliament and thanked them for their encouragement.

He wrote a message on the sticker at the entry to the party room at the parliament. His written message was, “Future Forward is people and their journey.”

He told his MPs to keep working. “The Future Forward Party is not Thanathorn. Future Forward is all of us and and everyone’s journey,’’ Mr Thanathorn said.

He then raised his hand in a three-finger salute -- an anti-junta sign adopted by activists -- to the cheers of his MPs before heading to the Constitutional Court to receive its judgement.