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AFP
Princess Ubolratana’s support for the party undermined the monarchy, the court ruled
Thailand’s top court has dissolved an opposition party that nominated the king’s sister as its candidate for prime minister.
Thai Raksa Chart is backed by exiled ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed by a military coup in 2006.
Analysts say dissolving the party will make it harder for Mr Thaksin’s supporters to win the national election due later this month.
Thailand is run by the military, which took over in a coup five years ago.
The Constitutional Court, which issued Thursday’s ruling, said Princess Ubolratana’s nomination threatened the neutrality of the monarchy.
The party’s executive board members have been banned from politics for 10 years, and it can no longer contest the election.
The March vote will be the first since the current Prime Minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, took power in a 2014 military coup – overthrowing the democratically elected government.