The Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) will not consider a controversial proposal for a fully appointed Senate until the military regime formally submits its suggestions in writing, chairman Meechai Ruchupan said.
The CDC chairman said the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) must decide what changes it wants the CDC to make and submit them in writing.
Since the proposal has not been submitted in writing, the CDC does not know exactly what it implies, Mr Meechai said, adding that charter drafters do not discuss suggestions through the media.
He said the proposal should be submitted in writing to the CDC by next week, at which time the CDC will consider it, Mr Meechai said.
The CDC is revising the draft constitution based on feedback from stakeholders and it has to submit the final version to the government by March 29.
The CDC's latest proposal calls for the indirect election of 200 senators elected from 20 professional groups, 10 from each group.
But Gen Prawit, also defence minister, has proposed a fully appointed Senate to serve a five-year term after the next election so the appointed members can work with an elected government to ensure the continuity and success of national reforms initiated by the military regime.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has also welcomed the proposal, but critics have slammed the idea, saying it will pave the way for the military regime to cling to power and keep an elected government under military control.
Observers believe appointed senators would consist of NCPO members. The rest would come from members of the National Legislative Assembly, which already consists of more than 100 soldiers.
Gen Prawit on Friday said that only a few NCPO members would be appointed to the Senate. When asked if he and Gen Prayut would become appointed senators, Gen Prawit said it would depend on a selection panel.
During a seminar on reforms and charter drafting organised by the 1992 May Heroes Relatives Committee, Seree Suwanpanont, chairman of a National Reform Steering Assembly subcommittee on political reform, proposed a question be included in the referendum asking whether MPs should only serve for two years, instead of the normal four-year tenure.
This is intended to test the mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) electoral system proposed by the CDC, Mr Seree said.
He also proposed that the government led by Gen Prayut and the NCPO remain in office during this two-year period, without any elected government being formed.
The appointed Senate proposal should also be included in a normal provision of the new charter rather than in a provisional clause, though the appointed Senate would not be allowed to select a prime minister, Mr Seree said.
These proposals should be included in the referendum on the draft charter for the public to decide, he said.
Thammasat University vice-rector and law professor Prinya Thaewanarumitkul yesterday warned that the new constitution must not pave the way for the military regime to stay in power.
He said the NCPO must stick to its roadmap with general elections scheduled for next year and the NCPO must not try to extend its rule.
Mr Prinya went on to say that the government must heed the lessons of the Black May clashes in 1992, triggered by the appointment of a non-MP prime minister — Gen Suchinda Kraprayoon — who was one of the military leaders who overthrew the Chatichai Choonhavan government in the 1991 coup.
