On Thursday, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) overwhelmingly agreed for this question to be added to the plebiscite on the draft charter scheduled for August 7.

The question read: “In order for the country’s reform plan to have continuity and be in accordance with the national strategic plan, it should state in the provisional clause of the charter that in the first session of Parliament, a joint meeting of Parliament [composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate] should be allowed to approve a prime minister.”

The question is far too long, appears to be written in a leading manner, paving the way to a designated answer, and contains jargon that is difficult to understand and would cause confusion among voters, Somchai said. He said a referendum question should be simple, short and neutral without providing any reasons behind it. The NLA could provide an explanation separate from the question, he added.

Somchai said the question needed to be reviewed, and that the EC would propose this to Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam when they meet at Government House on Monday.

As per the 2014 interim charter imposed by the junta after it seized power, the NLA must forward this question to the EC as it makes preparations for the referendum. The EC will also show referendum ballots to Wissanu during the meeting.

In a separate interview, Wissanu said adjusting the words of the additional referendum question was only feasible if it was to make it easier to understand, and that adding or removing the essence was not acceptable.

He added that the EC would meet with him on Monday to discuss the issue, though he emphasised that ultimately the final decision lay with the NLA, not the Cabinet or the EC.

Wissanu also said this question and another on whether the draft charter was acceptable would be on the same ballot paper, but in different colours. Should one question be marked wrongly and considered void, while the other remains acceptable, the latter will still be counted, he said.

Meanwhile, chief charter drafter Meechai Ruchupan refused to comment on whether this additional question would lead to another crisis, saying it was not the drafters’ concern. However, shortly after the NLA’s resolution on Thursday, charter drafter Pattara Kampitak, clearly upset about the decision, posted on Facebook that the Constitution Drafting Commission never intended to have the next Senate choose a prime minister because the CDC knew it would lead to conflict.

He also wrote that if the question were accepted for the referendum, the drafters would have no choice but to amend the charter accordingly. However, he stressed that a prime minister whose power came from the backing of a non-elected Senate would not be able to stay in power for too long.