A fresh proposal for an appointed Senate is expected to be put forward for inclusion in the draft charter during a two-day meeting of the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) starting today, an NRSA source has revealed.
A hidden agenda behind the proposal is suspected, the source said, saying a return to an appointed upper chamber is seen a retrograde step and undemocratic.
This would likely lead the public to vote down the draft charter in the referendum, which in turn would help the military government stay in power longer, the source said.
The NRSA will deliberate the draft charter today and tomorrow before presenting suggestions to the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC).
The CDC is gathering proposals from the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the cabinet, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), the NRSA as well as from public forums across the country.
The CDC is required to finish the final draft by March 29, in line with a 180-day time frame stipulated by the interim charter.
During an NLA meeting on Friday, the CDC's proposal for the indirect election of the Senate was among the issues that came under heavy criticism.
Several members, such as Jetn Sirathranont and Klanarong Chanthik, spoke out against the proposal which calls for the indirect election of 200 senators elected from 20 professional groups, 10 from each group.
They said this would pave the way for "organised block votes", and could trigger vote-buying among the professional groups.
Instead, they proposed that all 200 senators be appointed by a screening committee and that the makeup of the screening committee could be more inclusive.
Another NLA member, Somjate Boonthanom, said appointed senators performed well in the past and they acted as a counterbalance to elected MPs.
The source noted that Dr Jetn and Mr Somjate themselves were former appointed senators who came from the so-called Group of 40 Senators.
The source said the "strange move" by these NLA members is a reminder of what happened before the now-defunct draft charter by the previous CDC led by Borwornsak Uwanno was rejected by the National Reform Council (NRC).
At the time, the Borwornsak-led CDC proposed a "crisis panel" intended to break a political impasse, though it was criticised for having the power to override the government.
The panel would have included the military top brass but was seen as undemocratic and a backwards step.
It is thought to be one of the reasons the previous draft charter was rejected by the NRC.
Unlike the Borwornsak draft charter, the current draft charter by the Meechai Ruchupan-led CDC does not require endorsement from the NLA or the NRSA as stipulated by the interim charter.
After the Meechai panel finishes the final draft, it will be put to a referendum scheduled for July.
The source said some NRSA members will likely propose a provisional clause under the draft charter to allow the NCPO to appoint the first Senate after the enactment of the new constitution, even though they know this would make the draft charter vulnerable to attack from the public.
But if the draft passes the referendum, those members also hope to be appointed to the Senate, the source said.
"The government and the NCPO are being warned not to use the draft charter as a game to prolong their power. If the draft is shot down again, there will be no one left to support them," the source said.
CDC spokesman Udom Rathamarit admitted Sunday there was a proposal that the first Senate after the charter comes into effect would be an appointed chamber, to balance the elected government's power.
However, he said the CDC has not reached any conclusion on the matter and it has to listen to views from all sides. The issue was sensitive and could undermine the public's confidence in the draft charter.
Some groups were also concerned about a plot to prolong the military regime's power, Mr Udom said, adding the government is bound by its promise to stick to its roadmap leading to the general election in July next year.
In a video call during a Chinese New Year party held at the house of Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan Sunday, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra slammed the draft charter, describing it as "lousy".
Mr Thaksin said the draft gives the Constitutional Court too much power and this would only be a step backward for the country.
"I left the country for almost 10 years, but our country has stepped backwards by almost 20 years," he said.
Also on Sunday, PM's Office Minister Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana said it was ironic that those who are seeking to boycott the draft charter are the same group who want the election to take place early.
They should realise that if the draft charter is shot down, the election will be delayed further, he said.
Meanwhile, most people do not believe critical comments made by politicians on the draft charter, according to Suan Dusit Poll.
The poll was carried out on Feb 1-6, questioning 1,348 people across the country amid ongoing criticism of the draft charter by politicians.
About 75% of respondents said politicians commented on the draft charter because they are concerned about their benefits, advantages or disadvantages.