Hanoi (VNA) – Thailand’s Constitutional Court on March 7 ordered the dissolution of the Thai Raksa Chart Party for nominating Princess Ubolratana, a member of the Royal Family, as its candidate for prime minister in the upcoming general election later this month.

The court has ordered that the party be disbanded, Judge Taweekiet Meenakanit said in the ruling, which also banned the executive board members of the political party from politics for 10 years.

The party stunned the country on February 8 with Princess Ubolratana’s nomination as it breaks the tradition in which monarchs should be politically neutral.

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy and has not had a royal run for front line office since 1932.

Thailand’s election law forbids parties from using the monarchy in campaigns. The country’s Election Commission (EC) said that the Thai Raksa Chart Party violated the electoral law for its nomination of Princess Ubolratana.

Earlier on February 11, the election panel disqualified the princess from running for prime minister by echoing King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s words that royalty should be above politics.

The current valid list of candidates includes incumbent PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, who was nominated for the position by the Palang Pracharat Party.

The commission said the general election on March 24 aims to restore civilian rule. It will be the first general election in the country since the military coup in 2014.

The election has also attracted the Pheu Thai Party of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra and the Democrat Party of former PM Abhisit Vejjajiva. –VNA