The cabinet on Tuesday approved the appointment of a panel to draft a referendum on amending the charter, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.
Mr Phumtham, who serves as the panel's chairman, said the 35-member panel will be made up of representatives from government and opposition parties, legal experts, scholars, social activists and lawyers.
Politicians include Pheu Thai Party list-MP Chusak Sirinil; former justice permanent secretary Kittipong Kittiyarak; Nikorn Chamong of the Chartthaipattana Party; Supachai Jaisamut of the Bhumjaithai Party; Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana of the United Thai Nation Party; and Dech-it Khaothong of the Democrat Party.
Representatives from other sectors include Gen Chatchawal Khamkasem, former director-general of the Secretariat Department Office under the Permanent Secretary for Defence; former deputy police chief Pol Gen Suthep Dechraksa; Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee, a political science lecturer at Chulalongkorn University; Yutthaporn Issarachai, a political science lecturer at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University; and political activist Sirawith "Ja New" Seritiwat.
The panel will hold its first meeting on Saturday to discuss a framework for its tasks, Mr Phumtham said.
"We will then meet with representatives from other sectors to hear their feedback. We expect to come up with a conclusion on how to proceed with the referendum by the end of this year," Mr Phumtham said.
However, Parit Wacharasindhu, a Move Forward Party (MFP) list MP and spokesman, said the MFP refused to join the panel because the party has not received any clarification regarding the panel's goal and a framework which will provide the basis for further talks on the proposed referendum.
Mr Parit reiterated the party's stance that a new charter must be drawn up, not just some sections of the current one amended and that the new charter must be put together by a charter drafting assembly wholly comprising elected members.
"This principle was previously agreed upon by several parties. But if the government fails to confirm this principle, the MFP has reason to be concerned that the panel may be used as a tool to discard it," Mr Parit said.
Earlier, Mr Phumtham said he expected the charter rewrite and accompanying organic laws would be completed within four years of the amendment being announced. The government wants to keep the number of referendums at a minimum as each one is estimated to cost 3-4 billion baht.
In 2021, the Constitutional Court ruled the public must approve any move to amend the entire charter, and if that won approval, another must be held on the content itself.