Supachai Somcharoen, the EC chairman, said the agency’s members want to prepare for the election ahead of the arrival of the new members to make the transition smoother.

He spoke following the EC’s meeting on Monday.

Besides logistics, the EC has come up with an initial schedule for the election, which is set on August 19, 2018.

Based on the MP election draft bill it drafted, the EC projects that the draft bill could be promulgated by March 2018.

The EC would then issue legislation concerning the election by April 2018, before constituency determination can take place.

By early June 2018, the EC would expect to be in a position to announce the election date, the application date for candidates and venues for the election, Supachai said.

By July 2018, the EC would expect to receive the applications from MP candidates and party-list MPs, before the election could take place one month afterwards, or around August 19, he added.

Udom Rathamarit, a member of the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) who sat on the panel that vetted the bill which was passed by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) last week, said that he did not think the legislation was against the new Constitution.

He said the Courts of Justice could raise concerns with the CDC regarding the law.

The legislation was drafted by the CDC. It is among 10 organic laws needed to complement the new Constitution, which has been in effect since April 6.

Judges have expressed concerns over the clause that allows trials in the absence of fugitive defendants. Before the NLA voted 176-0 to pass the bill last Thursday, Atikom Intarabhuti, secretary-general of the Courts of Justice, who is a member of the committee vetting the draft law, said trials in absentia are against a universal principle and international practice.

Udom said that the Courts of Justice representative had raised the concern with the NLA during deliberation of the bill. “In the end, the majority of the NLA voted in support of the provision,” he said.

The relevant agencies allowed to oppose the bill – the CDC, Constitutional Court and National Anti-Corruption Commission – have no reservations with the newly passed bill, according to Udom. The Courts of Justice is not among those agencies.

A joint committee is formed when any of the relevant agencies disagree with the passed bill.

“I can’t answer now as to whether a joint committee will be set up. In my view, there is only a small chance of that,” Udom said.

Another member of the CDC, Atchaporn Charujinda said yesterday that as the Office of the Courts of Justice is not allowed to oppose the newly passed bill, the agency might seek a review through the CDC so that its request is forwarded to the NLA.

Jatuporn Promphan, a red-shirt leader and Pheu Thai Party politician, was the only well-known political figure present at the event held at the First Army Area command in Bangkok.

President of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), Jatuporn yesterday expressed support for the scheme and promised not to stand in the way of the reconciliation-building effort.

Key politicians from the country’s largest political parties – Pheu Thai and Democrat – did not show up. As well, no representatives from the political-turned-charity group People’s Democratic Reform Foundation (PDRF) participated in the symposium.

The reconciliation scheme and the harmony pact are among this year’s top political agendas presented by the junta-backed national strategy, reform and reconciliation preparation committee, also known by its Thai abbreviation of Por Yor Por.

While many people have doubts, Jatuporn yesterday said he believed the latest reconciliation attempt was different.

He said that he believed the scheme would come to fruition. He noted that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had twice cited His Majesty the King, who had said he wished the country be filled with love, happiness, and safety – and the PM called on the people to harmonise.

As a leader of a key opposition group, Jatuporn said that he would give it his full cooperation, but the task of carrying out the reconciliation scheme was the responsibility of the prime minister. “If national harmony is not achieved, we will have to come back to this point again,” the UDD president said. He extended moral support to the government, wishing them success in bringing about national reconciliation.

The symposium yesterday was joined by more than 300 people from the central region. Among them were politicians, political activists and workers from non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Representing the opinion-processing committee, Pol General Apisak Sombat Charoennont presented the draft of the so-called social contract, with 10 points encouraging all Thais to comply.

The points were answers to the 11 questions posed in the reconciliation that concerned conflicts of the past and the future steps to bringing national unity.

The pact called on all Thais to respect the results of a fair election, to exercise rights and freedoms with responsibility, to be vigilant of frauds, and to support the reform and national strategy.

Similar sessions will be held in other regions until Thursday at the regional Army commands, to introduce the draft of the harmony pact and gather final opinions before submitting it to the Por Yor Por.

Central government and local government officials also attended the meeting, in which an understanding was also reached on the draft bills of the EC and political parties as well as the EC regulation draft on provincial election inspectors.

For election preparations, the discussion included making voting easier for the elderly and handicapped, online candidacy, voter registrations, the uses of smart card readers in polling booths and online voting.

Also discussed was the uses of mobile applications to facilitate election procedures, the use of risk management programs in the process, the use of newly-designed ballot boxes and the appointment of provincial election inspectors.

People can submit complaints at those centres or via the hotline 1299 or PO Box 444 Ratchadamnoen 10200, NCPO deputy spokeswoman Colonel Sirichan Ngathong said on Monday.

She said the committees will consider the credibility of the complaints before forwarding complaints deemed actionable to anti-graft agencies.

If complaints relate to the Army, they will be scrutinised before being dealt with using bureaucratic measures, she said.

Sirichan said the centres were created in response to an initiative by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, who heads the NCPO, to extend platforms for people to make complaints about corruption.

They are also designed to show the public that the government is serious about combating graft, she added.

Prawit denied knowing about a planned Cabinet reshuffle that could see him and Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda swap posts.

“It depends on the prime minister. But personally, I would like to work as defence minister because I’m more familiar with it.” Prawit said.

The defence minister added that he had not discussed the matter with the premier but he thought a reshuffle should occur following significant royal ceremonies.

It is expected that General Chaktip Chaijinda, the national police chief, will become social development and human security minister in the reshuffle.

The last Cabinet reshuffle under Prayut administration took place in December, with 12 changes made.

But despite strong speculation at the time that Prawit, who has served in Cabinet since the coup, would be unseated, he remained.

It is called the Royal Assets Structuring Act of BE 2560 (2017), which in effect repeals the three relevant laws of 1936, 1941 and 1948.

The 12-article new law was published in the Royal Gazette on Sunday and became effective from Monday. It was approved by the National Legislative Assembly.

According to the new law, “royal assets” refer to assets belonging to the King before his ascension to the throne, those given to him by the state, and those he earns personally, as well as financial returns from those assets. Any act to revoke royal assets is not permissible under this law, without royal permission.

Article 6 of the law stipulates that management of royal assets is at the King’s pleasure. He may assign the Crown Property Bureau, any individual or agency to manage the royal assets.

The Crown Property Bureau is considered a legal entity under this legislation. The King is empowered to appoint members of a committee to run the bureau and may dismiss any of them at his pleasure.

A remark at the end of its announcement stated that this new law was issued because the King needs to spend royal assets in performing his duties and therefore he should be allowed to have the assets managed at his pleasure “so that the assets are made use of in a proper manner”.

In early May, a new law was issued to transfer five state agencies overseeing royal affairs and security to work directly under His Majesty the King. They are the Office of His Majesty’s Principal Private Secretary, the Royal Household Bureau, the Royal Aide-de-Camp Department, the Royal Security Command and the Royal Court Police. Previously, those agencies were under control of the government, the military and the police.

In the same month, a new royal decree was issued to outline the organisation and personnel administration of the agencies that work directly under the King. There are three main agencies involved – the Privy Council, the Royal Household Bureau, and the Royal Security Command.

Under the royal decree, privy councillors, civilians and military and police officers working in those agencies are considered officials under the King’s custody – not civil servants or state officials. The King may give military or police ranks to or remove ranks from any officials under his custody at his pleasure.

Isoc has invited major political camps and parties to participate in the seminar, in which it will discuss the harmony pact with participants.

Isoc spokesman Colonel Peerawat Saengthong said Isoc invited all people who had contributed to the pact’s creation since the scheme kick-started in February to join the sessions for a final brush-up before submitting it to the reform and reconciliation committee.

The first meetings will be held at the First Army Area command in Bangkok on Monday as well as other military barracks in all regions from Monday to Thursday.

Peerawatch expected some 500 people to join the session in Bangkok. Among the participants will be non-governmental organisations and concerned public members.

Similar sessions are to be held this week at the regional Army commands in Nakhon Ratchasima province in the Northeast, Phitsanulok province in the North and Nakhon Si Thammarat province in the South.

Disharmony in politics (70.5 per cent) was top among the five concerns 1,278 people expressed in a survey conducted by Suan Dusit Poll during the past week and released yesterday.

Coming second and third on the list were the behaviour of politicians and their comments on current politics. More than two-thirds, or 68.7 per cent, of the poll respondents said that politicians were inclined to abuse their power for their own ends, and that they often set a bad example due to their verbal abuse. Some 66.98 per cent of the people surveyed believed that politicians’ comments were not constructive and provoked further political conflict.

The second-last and last of the five concerns related to the election road map and the legislation of organic laws. Some 57.76 per cent of respondents were afraid that the election would be postponed as the process was still unclear and politicians were still debating the new voting system.

More than half of the people, 53.68 per cent, said they had no knowledge of the organic laws because there were so many pieces of legislation, and they were concerned that the laws would not be completed in time for the election. The respondents were also uncertain of the transparency of the legislation.

The poll also asked what people wanted to see in Thai politics today, and the first of the top five responses was harmony – 84.66 per cent. Progress and a healthy economy came second, at 71.63 per cent, while clean and corruption-free politics was third with 69.25 percent.

The fourth thing people wanted to see in politics was democracy and inclusive participation (64.87 per cent). Finally, people wanted to see new blood in politics and politicians who would be more constructive (63.07 per cent).

Meanwhile, authorities have continued with their efforts to bring about national reconciliation. The Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) has invited major political camps and parties to participate in a final seminar on the so-called social contract for national reconciliation tomorrow.

The seminar, in which the Isoc is to discuss the harmony pact with participants, will be held at the First Army Area command in Bangkok as well as other military barracks in all regions from tomorrow to Thursday.

Isoc spokesman Colonel Peerawat Saengthong said he expected some 500 people to join the session in Bangkok. Among the participants, besides the political groups, are NGOs and concerned public members.

The agency has prepared and got everything in place for the seminar on the social contract, the spokesman said. So, it had invited all people who had contributed to the pact’s creation since the scheme kick-started in February to join the session again for a final brush up before submitting it to the reform and reconciliation committee, he added.

Similar sessions are to be held this week at the regional Army commands in Nakhon Ratchasima in the Northeast, Phitsanulok in the North and Nakhon Si Thammarat in the South.

The move is to express solidarity with Thai activists opposed to the military-backed regime.

The five young activists, identified as Cat, Chris, Austin, Jay, and Effy from Australia, England, Canada, Malaysia, and Vietnam respectively, visited Pai at Khon Kaen Central Prison on Friday.

Pai ‘in good spirit’

Pai has been detained since December for sharing on Facebook a BBC article deemed insulting to the monarchy. His bail requests have been rejected more than 10 times since.

Despite months of detention, Pai remained in good spirit and told his international friends, with one of his fists up in the air, to encourage young people everywhere to carry on their struggle for freedom and democracy.

The five international activists would share their experience of meeting Pai and other political prisoners in their own languages to spread the word about the situation in Thailand, according to the New Democracy Movement Facebook page.

In its Facebook post, the anti-junta group also insisted it would continue to fight until justice and freedom are restored.