THE proposal by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan for appointed senators to balance the power of elected MPs while the country is in a five-year transitional period, before a full return to democracy, has had a mixed response from relevant agencies.

Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) spokesman Udom Rat-amarit said the drafters would have to weigh advantages and drawbacks of appointed senators.

The Prayut government and National Council for Peace and Order have given the CDC suggestions to revise the first version of their charter draft. Among them is that the country should have a five-year transitional period before a return to full democracy.

The charter draft by the CDC had designed an indirect election system in which different professional groups select senators as representatives from their professional sector.

Prawit has said there would not be any new agency set up to guide the country during the proposed transition period because all mechanisms would be decided by senators appointed for the five-year transitional phase.

Udom said the CDC could not say yet if it would change the draft to have appointed senators as suggested by the Cabinet. However, he said the CDC had accepted proposals from all sectors of society for careful consideration and had revised several Articles, especially the chapter on rights of the Thai people.

National Legislative Assembly deputy president Peerasak Porjit said the NLA would not object to Prawit’s suggestion of having appointed senators during a transitional period.

“We do not prefer appointing a new body to oversee the country – we’d rather opt for existing institutions such as the Senate to help balance the power and oversee the work of elected MPs,” he said.

However, Peerasak said he wanted a greater number of appointed senators from the provinces. The Senate should have the responsibility to balance power and not to interfere in the affairs of the executive branch, he said.

CDC chairman Meechai Ruchupan said the CDC would decide on how to “acquire” senators over the next one to two weeks.

Meechai called on the public to give suggestions on whether the CDC should revise the charter draft over formation of the Senate. “Would having the Senate as suggested by other agencies solve the country’s problems?” he asked.

He insisted that the CDC’s formula of indirect election of senators, as stated in the charter draft, was suitable for the country’s political structure. But the National Reform Steering Assembly and the NLA want a permanent method for manning the Senate in the charter, not a temporary one for just a transitional period.

The CDC plans to hold meetings in Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan at the end of the month to review the wording and details of the charter. All major issues in the draft would be resolved in Parliament.

CDC member General Niwat Sripen said he could not say what would happen in regard to Prawit’s call for appointed senators. “It is a difficult proposal,” he said. “We cannot cater to all suggestions from everyone. We will rest the decision on major issues such as MPs and senators with the CDC and not its committees.

NLA member Taweesak Suthakavatin said he personally believed appointed senators would help stabilise the political situation and were needed as the country needs cooperation and unity. “They could help steer the country through the five-year transition period,” he said.

NRSA member Wanchai Sornsiri said the Lower House and Upper House must have equal power to balance each other. Allowing both Houses to nominate a candidate to be PM instead of just the Lower House alone was suitable as the country is in a transitional period.

“We do not allow full democracy yet but we also do not allow full authoritarianism,” he said.