However, the CDC chief said he had to study the proposal before taking further action.

Meechai did not say when the NCPO submitted the proposal to him after a week of speculation that the junta and key figures in government wanted the CDC to help to address the selection of senators to ensure reforms during a five-year transitional period after an election next year.

He said the proposal was signed by Army chief General Theerachai Nakawanich, and that it including four or five pages detailing the resolutions of a recent meeting of the “Four Rivers” government bodies – the NCPO, the Cabinet, the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) and the National Legislative Assembly. Last week, they met in Meechai’s absence.

The chief drafter later revealed that he had not been invited to the meeting and did not want to attend for fear that resolutions would tie the CDC’s hands regarding the charter draft.

Meechai declined to confirm whether the proposal also contained controversial points regarding the selection of senators, but he said it carried “weight” because it came from those in charge of the country at the moment.

CDC spokesperson Udom Rathamarit said the CDC meeting did consider and acknowledge the proposal, and that the Cabinet would explain it to the public today.

The proposal contains more recommendations than the 16 points originally submitted by the Cabinet, Udom said, but he insisted that it would not affect the existing roadmap and the CDC would still meet its deadline. “We are not worried about that,” Udom said.

Udom declined to confirm if the CDC would revise the draft following all recommendations, saying only that it would be legally permissible for the CDC to not follow some points. He added that he was not sure if people would accept it if the CDC followed all of the recommendations. “Any revisions must be explainable,” he said.

Meanwhile, the NRSA’s political reform panel plans to call a meeting today to discuss the planned referendum before making proposals for the NRSA’s whip to consider.