“If we use less time than set in the timeframe then the general election can be brought faster,” he said.

He downplayed a comment by Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) chairman Meechai Ruchupan that the election might take place in early 2018 at the latest.

“There could be some procedures that are beyond [our] control, so it is alright to allow additional time. But I would like it to be held by next year and the prime minister has insisted he would not stay on longer,” Wissanu said.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said political parties would be allowed to hold meetings soon, adding that the referendum results suggested that the people wanted the country to move forward.

National Legislative Assembly (NLA) president Pornpetch Wichitcholchai said the next step after the referendum is for the CDC to amend the draft to adjust provisions that would allow the appointed Senate to select the next prime minister. That process must be finished within 30 days.

The amended draft will be forwarded to the Constitutional Court for approval within the 30-day period. If the court rules the draft does not need to be changed and forwards it to the prime minister, he has another 30 days to seek a royal endorsement. If the court rules the draft must be amended, the CDC has 15 days to do so.

“Don’t dissolve parties”

The interim charter of 2014 stipulates that the CDC must draft four organic laws related to political parties and elections and the process preceding the general election. The CDC should expedite that drafting process because the NLA needs 60 days to pass the legislation, Pornpetch said.

Meechai, however, said he had doubts about whether there would be problems arising from the additional referendum question in case MPs and the Senate do not select the prime minister from the list presented by political parties.

The additional question stipulates that MPs can seek Senate approval to not pick the prime minister from the list presented by political parties.

But the referendum shows that most people wanted a joint Parliament to select the prime minister, Meechai said.

“What if the joint Parliament fails to select the prime minister from the lists presented by the political parties? How to solve this problem? We have to find out. But I insist that only the Lower House has the right to nominate prime minister candidates for both Houses to select,” he said.

Meechai said he wanted to discuss politics with politicians before drafting organic laws related to the electoral and political party systems.

Chat Thai Pattana Party leader Somsak Prissanananthakul said he would prefer the organic laws do not include provisions related to dissolving political parties, but have politicians and party executives punished individually if they commit crimes, including lifetime political bans.

He said “I do not agree with making all parties start from scratch or reset to zero because that is the same as destroying political institutions,” Somsak said.

There has been speculation that all political parties will be dissolved and new ones established to ensure all parties have an equal chance.