Former massage parlour tycoon Chuvit Kamolvisit will on Friday appeal a Civil Court injunction ordering him to suspend his criticism of the Bhumjaithai Party's cannabis policy pending its ruling in a case brought against him.
Mr Chuvit, who is waging a one-man campaign against the coalition Bhumjaithai Party, told a press conference on Thursday that he respected the court's order but decided to appeal because cannabis decriminalisation was a public policy floated by a political party and was subject to scrutiny.
The former politician said if the court stood by the injunction, he would comply but would figure out ways to oppose Bhumjaithai's cannabis policy.
Mr Chuvit said he would take his campaign to the Mor Chit bus terminal next week when people start leaving for Songkran and would launch his campaign in the provinces later this month.
At the press conference, Mr Chuvit wore a black shirt and covered his eyes with a black cloth and his mouth with sticky tape to symbolise that the party was silencing him.
This came after Bhumjaithai Party registrar Supachai Jaisamut said the Civil Court had issued an injunction against Mr Chuvit, requiring that he temporarily cease his criticism of the party and its cannabis policy.
Mr Supachai filed a lawsuit against Mr Chuvit in the Civil Court, accusing him of damaging the party with his accusations and criticism of its policies and his calls for voters to shun the party.
Mr Chuvit also responded to the party's lawsuit on his Facebook account, saying people had the right to oppose the uncontrolled use of cannabis. He said the decriminalisation of cannabis was the work of the Bhumjaithai Party and its leader Anutin Charnvirakul, who is the public health minister.
Mr Anutin said on Thursday the party had to seek court intervention if the criticism against the party's policy was unfair or intended to discredit it. He said he did not see the court's injunction as a victory for the party, but it had to seek a court order to protect its reputation and against any misunderstanding.
"If criticism is in good faith, we're ready to explain. But if it is intended to devalue the party or spread false information about the party, we have to turn to court when we can't stop them," he said.
He also said Mr Chuvit would be held in contempt of court if he failed to comply with the order.
Asked about Mr Chuvit's plan to protest the party's cannabis policy on Friday at Victory Monument, Mr Anutin said the party and its candidates were focusing on the election campaign. "We have no time to spare," he added.
