BANGKOK: Charismatic and fresh-faced, reformist politician Pita Limjaroenrat shook up Thailand’s political landscape with an energetic approach and an uncompromising pledge to bring change.

The 43-year-old Harvard graduate led the progressive Move Forward Party (MFP) to a shock first place in last May’s general election, seeing off the ageing power-brokers who have long dominated Thai politics.

He stood by pledges to amend Thailand’s strict royal defamation law and reform the military — promises that struck a chord with young and urban voters wearied by a near-decade of army-backed rule. But the dream quickly shattered as conservative forces blocked his bid to become prime minister and he and his party were dragged into legal disputes.

One of those cases was resolved on Wednesday, with the Constitutional Court clearing him of wrong-doing over owning media shares — banned for Thai lawmakers.

The ruling paves the way for Pita to retake his seat in parliament, and he has always insisted he will run for office again, telling last year that he was “not giving up”.

Pita first appeared on Thailand’s political scene in 2018 as part of the newly formed progressive Future Forward Party.

But after garnering huge support in the 2019 elections, the party was battered by legal challenges and dissolved, with its leaders banned from politics.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2024