A social contract for national unity will be tabled before the Committee for National Administration under the Framework of National Reform, Strategy and Reconciliation next week before being brought before public hearings nationwide.
Army chief Chalermchai Sittisart, who chairs a panel responsible for drawing up the draft unity agreement, said Thursday that his panel has submitted the draft to the committee for national reconciliation, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.
The draft will be forwarded to a meeting of the Committee for National Administration under the Framework of National Reform, Strategy and Reconciliation chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Once approved, the public hearings will be held across the country to gather public opinions on the draft as well as explain details to the public.
The forum will be co-supervised by the four army regions and the Internal Security Operations Command, he said.
Gen Chalermchai said his panel's work did not centre only on reconciliation but also compiled opinions on a wide range of topics from residents across the country, covering more than 200 issues.
"The national unity agreement is a promise between Thais, not the law. It is a social contract, promising the state will work on what people want," he said.
"Whether the agreement will produce a substantial result depends on Thais because the agreement is not the law that people must comply with. It is just the opinions of people in the country which will be useful for the government's administration," the army chief added. According to the Defence Ministry, Gen Prawit last week gave initial approval for the draft unity agreement.
Defence spokesman Maj Gen Kongcheep Tantravanich said the three-page document was reviewed and initially endorsed by Gen Prawit, who has recommended some minor changes. He said the document would not be unveiled until before the public hearings, but added the 10-point draft addresses the need to promote better understanding and contain political conflicts, including hate speech.