Charter drafters have modified the document to allow a prime minister not elected by the public to be installed on a majority vote of at least two-thirds of MPs.
Charter writers, who are in the middle of revising the draft, on Wednesday confirmed a decision they made earlier backing the idea in emergency situations of MPs choosing as prime minister someone who did not come from an election. The revised draft is due to be submitted to the National Reform Council (NRC) on April 17.
The council will examine the draft and point to flaws which need rectifying. After that, the draft will be returned to the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) for a further revision. In the end, the NRC will decide whether to accept or reject the draft charter.
Two key issues were brought up for revision Wednesday: the coming to power of a non-elected premier and the Senate's composition. CDC spokesman Lertrat Rattanawanich said the pre-revision draft required an elected MP to win at least half the votes of members of the House of Representatives to become prime minister.
The committee added to Section 182 a clause on a non-elected prime minister, an issue made controversial by critics' concerns it could destabilise politics.
Gen Lertrat said for a non-elected person to become prime minister, he or she will need at least two-thirds of votes of members of the House of Representatives.
The drafters agreed the added clause would help break a critical political impasse by enabling MPs to have greater flexibility in finding someone not from among themselves to lead the country.
Gen Lertrat said the clause would be useful in resolving national crises, which often end in military coups.
Regarding Senate composition, the CDC agreed there will be 200 senators belonging to three groups.
The first group comprises 77 elected senators representing the provinces. There will be 10 candidates with various expertise standing in each province. Qualifications of the candidates will be specified in an organic law.
The second batch is made up of 65 senators, 10 of whom are former permanent secretaries or equivalent; 10 former defence permanent secretaries, former supreme commanders or former armed forces leaders; 15 representatives of professional councils; and 30 representatives of the labour, farmer, academic and grassroots organisations. Members of each group will elect the senators from among themselves.
The third group, with 58 senators, are specialists from wide-ranging fields, including politics, security, national administration, economics, justice, arts and science. They will be appointed after their names are shortlisted by a selection committee.
Gen Lertrat said the 200 senators will have different tenures. After three years, 100 of them will leave their posts - the entire second batch along with some from the third group. The third group members leave through lot drawing. The 77 elected members and 23 of the third group will serve a six-year term.
Also Wednesday, the national reform sub-panel on the political party system reiterated its support for the dissolution of parties found by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office-Holders to have committed offences against the monarchy. Sub-panel chairman Amorn Wanichawiwat said the conditions for disbanding parties were decided on earlier.