The move to have no elected senators is aimed at balancing the power of the Upper House against the elected Lower House.

The source from the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) said the junta did not want the new charter to be rejected in the national referendum because of a special mechanism or body to check and balance the power of the government. They agreed to bank on the Senate to carry out this role.

The source said the NCPO has not resolved whether it wanted all 200 senators to be selected and what their roles and responsibilities should |be.

One of the proposals is for senators to have the power to vote in the PM and launch a no-confidence debate.

The NCPO has not decided if it wants the senators to serve a five-year term or less because in five years they can vote in a PM twice, as a member of Parliament’s term is four years. The junta fears that if this were the case, the new charter would be opposed.

The source said the junta’s formula on acquiring senators and their roles would work only if Prayut accepts to be nominated as PM after a general election.

If Prayut declines and lets other military leaders who do not have the public backing to be nominated as PM, there might be political turmoil, as seen in May 1992 when a pro-democracy movement protested against the General Suchinda Kraprayoon government.

“If Prayut does not want to be nominated, this formula should not be used, otherwise there would be a crisis,” the source said.

Prayut has softened his stance against staying in power longer. Last week he was asked if the government would stay in office after the |general election and he replied |that the possibility has to be considered.

“You have to think what should be next, otherwise don’t blame me for not achieving the mission. How you want things to be is up to you,” Prayut said.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said senators during a five-year transitional period would come from an indirect election and have extra responsibility in overseeing national strategies and reform.

The Senate would carry out duties normally and not create a temporary mechanism during the transition, he said.

Prawit’s suggestion for selected senators in the charter met with criticism that the move was a step back in terms of democracy and was an attempt by the junta to continue its grip on power.

Chatchai na Chiangmai, spokesman for the Constitution Drafting Commission, dismissed the criticism, saying the charter clearly stipulated that officials of all agencies who step down will no longer have any power.

“Charter writers cannot write a charter that prevents any subtle power that exists,” he said.

PM’s Office Minister Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana said after meeting Prayut for one hour that the PM wanted him to draw up a five-year reform plan and prioritise issues that have to be completed within one, two and five years.