The military junta’s legal team has finished drawing up a provisional constitution which will lead to the appointment of a 35-member panel responsible for framing a new charter, according to a source at the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).
Thai ambassador to the Netherlands, Virachai Plasai, fifth from right, and other ambassadors and consuls attend a dinner talk organised by the Foreign Ministry yesterday. Foreign permanent secretary Sihasak Phuangketkeow briefed them about the political situation. PATTARAPONG CHATPATTARASILL
The source said the provisional charter will allow for the establishment of a national legislative body as well as a reform council.
The draft interim charter will be forwarded to the Council of State, which serves as the government’s legal arm, for consideration, the source said.
Under the provisional charter, the national reform council will be made up of 150 members chosen from various professional groups.
Chief among the tasks of the reform council will be to appoint a 35-member committee responsible for writing a new constitution.
The 35 members will comprise 20 from the reform council, five from the interim cabinet, five from the national legislative assembly and five from the NCPO, the source said.
After drawing up the new constitution, the charter drafters will submit their work to the national reform council for endorsement, without putting it to a referendum as was done with the 2007 charter, according to the source.
However, if the reform council does not approve the draft, it will be left to the NCPO to decide whether any of the previously abrogated charters should be revived and changed for use instead, the source said.
The source added that junta chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha has not yet approved the appointments of some staff members working for the NCPO’s advisers.
Gen Prayuth has appointed a group of prominent civilians and military officers as the NCPO’s advisers to recommend policies on the economy, legal issues, security and foreign affairs.
However, some of the staff members nominated by the NCPO’s advisers have been rejected by Gen Prayuth, the source said.
The source said former army specialist Gen Trairong Indradat is one of those nominated as a staff member for one of the NCPO’s advisers.
Gen Trairong, widely known as "Seh Ice", was a friend of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School.
Gen Trairong was also among hundreds of people summoned to report to the NCPO after the May 22 coup.
The source said Gen Prayuth has called into question these nominations and told the advisers to review their choice of staff members.
The NCPO met at Government House for the first time yesterday. The meeting was chaired by Gen Prayuth.
Speaking after the meeting, NCPO spokeswoman Col Sirichan Ngathong said the junta has not yet decided when the national legislative assembly and national reform council should be established.
The NCPO is waiting for information from the Internal Security Operations Command which is attempting to foster national unity. However, an interim government will be formed first before the national legislative body and the national reform council are established, Col Sirichan said.
She said the NCPO is now focusing on efforts to promote unity.
On the question of whether the NCPO will lift the curfew after the interim charter is in place, Col Sirichan said the NCPO chief has attached importance to the curfew as the measure is intended to maintain peace and order.
The NCPO chief admitted the curfew has affected the lives of many people, for example in the South where people tap rubber in the early hours. Gen Prayuth has told security agencies to explain the need for the curfew to southern people, Col Sirichan said.
The NCPO will lift the curfew after considering the security situation and livelihoods of people, she said.
NCPO spokesman Winthai Suvaree said Gen Prayuth stressed the need for agencies to speed up measures to tackle the high cost of living affecting farmers and low-income people.
Gen Prayuth also stressed that agencies responsible for water management must step up efforts to develop and improve water sources to solve problems such as flooding and drought.
Regarding the NCPO’s ban on political parties’ activities and meetings, Col Winthai said parties can still express their opinions, although their views must not have wider political implications.
Meanwhile, former Pheu Thai MP for Maha Sarakham Kusumalwati Sirikomut yesterday came up with political reform proposals for consideration by the NCPO.
She proposed a prime minister and cabinet be elected directly by the people so they can represent the public and they can act independently of political parties.
Ms Kusumalwati also said parties should be reformed to diminish the influence of party financiers and curb the patronage system. Members should also be given the right to vote without being influenced by parties, she said.