The Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) and National Legislative Assembly (NLA) will meet Wednesday in a session that is expected to end the uncertainty surrounding the issue of whether the appointed Senate would be allowed to join MPs in nominating a prime minister.
CDC spokesman Udom Rathamarit said Tuesday the CDC will discuss with NLA members the intention of voters who endorsed the additional referendum question relating to the Senate's power to help MPs select a prime minister.
However, Mr Udom declined to make a personal comment on whether the question was also intended for the Senate to join MPs to nominate a prime minister.
The CDC will listen to opinions on the extra question from all sides including the NLA, which initiated the extra question, although the CDC will have the final say on the scope and essence of the matter, Mr Udom said.
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The CDC is adjusting the specific content of the draft charter to accommodate the question.
However, Mr Udom insisted the CDC will come to its own judgement on the issue, and not toe the line of the NLA.
Several NLA members said they thought the intention of the extra referendum question was for the appointed Senate to take part in the nomination process of the prime minister and the Upper House's role should not be limited to deciding whether or not to approve a given choice of prime minister.
Critics of the military regard the NLA's referendum question as a ploy designed to allow the NCPO to stay in power.
Under the charter, political parties are required to nominate PM candidates before a general election for the first five years after the charter comes into effect. The extra question, which was approved along with the draft constitution in the Aug 7 referendum, allows the 250 appointed senators to join the 500 elected MPs in voting to select the prime minister.
But if a prime minister fails to be selected through this process, a joint sitting of parliament can vote to waive the party nomination rule so the process of nominating and voting for a prime minister outside the parties' lists can begin. This would be the second process.
NLA president Pornpetch Wichitcholchai earlier said the intention of the additional question was for the appointed Senate to take part in the prime ministerial nomination process. However, he said the Senate did not have the right to nominate a premier during the first process of selecting the prime minister.
According to Mr Pornpetch, whether or not the appointed Senate can nominate the prime minister in the second process would depend on the CDC's decision when it revises the draft charter.
Also on Tuesday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha chaired a joint meeting of the cabinet and the National Council for Peace and Order to discuss the essence of the additional referendum question.
Speaking after the meeting, Gen Prayut said it is up to the CDC to decide who will have the power to nominate a prime ministerial candidate during the second process. However, the prime minister stressed that any MP candidate must have a great deal of integrity.
Gen Prayut also said the joint meeting of the NCPO and the cabinet also agreed to propose an amendment to Section 6 of the interim charter to increase the number of NLA members by 30.