Thai election commission asks court to dissolve party linked to princess

Thailand’s election commission has asked the constitutional court to dissolve a party that proposed a princess as a candidate for prime minister. The move is seen as a potentially serious blow to the political aspirations of the kingdom’s powerful Shinawatra clan. Junta-ruled Thailand has been in political chaos since Friday when Princess Ubolratana’s name was submitted by Thai Raksa Chart, a party allied with the divisive billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra. The commission had disqualified her as a candidate for prime minister and on Wednesday it filed a request with the constitutional court to disband Thai Raksa Chart for breaching the political parties law by bringing a royal family member into politics, AFP reported. In an Instagram post late Tuesday, the 67-year-old princess apologized for her role in the developments.