The Senate has decided not to send its representatives to join a committee which will be set up to consider charter amendments.
Senators will not sit on the 49-member panel no matter whatever status they may acquire -- authorities under the cabinet quota, experts or even individuals, senator Kamnoon Sidhisamarn, also the spokesman for Senate whip, said on Wednesday.
The committee is only assigned to "study" the rewrite, so "there's nothing to do with the amendment process," he said.
Kamnoon: Panel to 'study, not amend'
Their decision not to be involved with the committee relieves a worry over the Senate's participation as they are believed to have conflicts of interest.
The reason for this is one amendment proposal is reportedly intended to scale down the significant power of the Senate.
Of the 49 seats in the committee, 12 will go to the cabinet, 18 to MPs from the coalition parties and 19 to those in the opposition camp.
The cabinet has already nominated what it calls six "outsiders" who are not cabinet members though it is still unclear whether all of them will receive the invitations.
Among them are Pakorn Nilprapunt, deputy secretary-general of the Council of State, Woothisarn Tanchai, secretary-general of King Prajadhipok's Institute, and party-list MP for ruling Palang Pracharath Party Paiboon Nititawan, according to Prime Minister's Office Minister Tewan Liptapallop.
"Our work is now about 80% complete," Mr Tewan said, referring to the ongoing process to select its representatives on the committee.
The minister said the government is preparing to invite business people to join the committee.
