A majority of those who voted in the August 7 referendum approved the draft charter and the additional question on whether selected senators should be allowed to vote along with elected MPs in the selection of a new prime minister for five years after the new Parliament convenes for the first time.

CDC chairman Meechai Ruchupan has assigned the constitution drafters to gather opinions from the public as to how the draft should be revised to accommodate the referendum result, according to the spokesman.

Democrat politician Watchara Petchthong told a press conference at the party’s headquarters yesterday that the written request, made by him and 17 other colleagues, was addressed to General Prayut, in his capacity as head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

Watchara said police officers with duties unrelated to police work such as Tourism Police and Highway Police should be moved to work under relevant ministries, namely Highway Department and Tourism Ministry, as per a reform proposal by the National Legislative Assembly.

The Democrats also suggested that the work of investigation should be given to the Justice Ministry, the Department of Special Investigation, and the Auditor-General’s Office.

Politicians from the Pheu Thai and Democrat parties said the retired general should first set up his own party, offer a policy platform, and win the hearts of the people in order to gracefully assume the PM’s office again.

The advice came after Prayut, who also heads the National Council for Peace and Order, offered to continue serving as government head after the election, but only in a democratic and dignified way.

Worachai Hema, a former Pheu Thai MP and red-shirt leader, said yesterday that General Prayutwas doing the opposite of what he had always stated: that he did not want to play politics.

The politician advised Prayut he must not take power as an outsider or it would not be graceful.

“If [people] see him coming to power through irregular channels, it will not be dignified,” he said. “He has written a constitution which has already passed a referendum. He should just set up a party and enter the field and play by the rules. If he wins the people’s votes, every party will accept it, but if he rides on the Senate’s support, it will lack legitimacy.”

Worachai added that he wanted Prayut to prove himself in an election so that it would be clear how |the public felt about him after all |this time that he has run the country.

The referendum results were vague about whether or not people liked the general as a premier, he said.

Weng Tojirakarn, a key member of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, said that if Prayut regarded support from the 250 NCPO-appointed senators as “a democratic means”, it would be “a big disgrace”.

Another red-shirt leader Nattawut Saikua said that allow-|ing an outsider PM after the election does not mean Prayut would be coming through democratic means. Prayut would only be regaining power via a mechanism he set up to serve his own interests.

“He staged a coup, then appointed a panel to write a constitution unique from the rest of the world. Then he selected 250 senators just to raise hands to select him as PM. This is not democratic at all,” Nattawut said.

The red-shirt leader added that he would not oppose if Prayut had already made up his mind. Nattawut said he has been waiting for the general to be in the same position as a politician in Parliament so that he would be scrutinised by the House members and the public.

Likewise, Democrat Party deputy leader Nipit Intrasombat said Prayut could set up a new party and have the members nominate him. This is the most graceful way to become a PM, the Democrat said.

However, the Democrat Party would continue to support its leader to become prime minister through constitutional means, Nipit added.

Another former Democrat MP Watchara Petchthong said he was not surprised that Prayut had signalled his ambition to remain in office even after the next election. But he and his Democrat colleagues would back party leader Abhisit to be the government head if the party wins a majority in the election, the politician added.

“But if anyone or any party wishes to support General Prayut, then it’s up to them,” Watchara said.

Political analyst Sukhum Nualsakul said yesterday that what Prayut meant by stepping up gracefully was that he had to have the support from the 250 senators and some political parties in the Lower House. However, the analyst declined to comment whether the public would sharePrayut‘s idea of “democratic dignity”.

The ceremony was held at Wat Rajabopit with Royal representatives, and some high ranking public and private officials also attending.

Privy Councillor General Surayud Chulanont, who represented Their Majesties, and Air Chief Marshal Kasem Yoosuk, chief of HRH the Crown Prince’s Private Secretary’s Office, represented HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, also appeared at the ceremony to give Gen Prem bouquets and best wishes.

Before becoming president of the Privy Council, Prem served as premier from 1980 till 1988. He was also a former head of the military.

 

NLA president Pornpetch Wichitcholachai said preparation of the new list of members came under the junta’s authority, and he trusted it would give all potential candidates its best consideration, taking all factors and legislative needs into account.

Pornpetch downplayed concerns that those coming in would have military connections, especially officers who are due to retire next month.

“But if they are [military officers], you should not feel sickened as several military turned senators are performing well at present,” Pornpetch said.

The NLA voted unanimously to approve the regime-proposed amendment of the 2014 Interim Constitution to allow 30 more members to sit on the Assembly.

The agenda passed three readings straight with 189 votes and three abstentions to amend three related sections under the interim charter, although NLA vice president Surachai Liengboonlertchai said earlier he was worried the public would see the move as the NCPO trying to retain power.

The motion was proposed by the Cabinet and the NCPO to allow extra seats in the NLA from the current 220 up to 250 in order to expedite the passing of new laws.

Representing the Cabinet and the NCPO at yesterday’s meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan said both bodies would like to help the NLA speed up its work as its workload would increase after the constitution draft is promulgated.

Hence, more hands should be added to the Assembly, he said.

180 bills to pass before election

Another Deputy PM, Wissanu Krea-ngam, said that in the next 16 months before a general election, at least 180 bills would pass through the chamber including organic laws required by the new constitution, and those related to the government’s steering policies.

Wissanu, a legal expert, said that besides the bills needing careful deliberation, the work also involved a set timeframe. Some need to be completed within four months, with others in eight months or one year, he added.

Experts from various fields would be necessary to help finish the work effectively and on time, Wissanu explained.

The 250 seats would be sufficient to serve the purpose and was the same number as the new Senate to be selected by the NCPO, as laid out in the new constitution, he added.

The NLA is a legislative chamber appointed by the coup-maker NCPO since July 2014. According to a royal decree published in the Royal Gazette, each NLA member receives a monthly allowance of between Bt113,560 and Bt125,590.

NLA member Somchai Sawangkarn said that there were some 300 to 400 bills waiting to be revised, and an additional 30 legislators would help lighten that load. He insisted the budget for monthly and meeting allowances would not be wasteful. The state budget spent on the NLA was less than one third of what the elected Parliament used to enjoy, whereas the NLA had accomplished more, Somchai claimed.

He said it was not a move to exploit the NLA for anyone’s personal interest.Pornpetch, meanwhile, said of the ongoing amendment of the charter draft to integrate the additional question that paves the way for the 250 handpicked senators to jointly select a Prime Minister in the first five years after an election, saying he would leave the matter to the Constitutional Court, and be ready to give it further input if called.

The work is in the hands of the Constitution Drafting Commission.

 

PRIME Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha offered yesterday to continue serving as government leader after the next election, even though he will not be paid for doing so.

General Prayut, who has ruled the country since seizing power in May 2014, said he aimed to stay in power via democratic means and in a proper way.

He said his starting monthly salary as a junior military officer some four decades ago was Bt1,950 and that he was currently making Bt75,000 a month as head of the government.

“Even though the work is harder and I am not paid for doing the work, I will be pleased to stay. But I will stay through democratic means and in a dignified way, although I don’t know now how that will come,” Prayut said.

Unlike the past few constitutions, the new one to be promulgated later this year does not require prime ministers to be an elected member of the House of Representatives.

The PM, who also heads the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), made his remarks in an address at an awards ceremony at Government House for organisations with excellent fiscal management.

Prayut admitted he had come to power through improper means but said he would step down in accordance with the roadmap that was set.

“Nobody invited me to be here so they have no right to give me the door. I am not going now. I will go at the time stated in the schedule,” he told the audience.

Prayut said that over the past two years in power his government had been tackling national problems that had accumulated for many years. He also complained that his government’s efforts had been obstructed by groups of activists he accused of getting funds from foreign countries.

The PM maintained that Thailand was “going back to democracy”, adding that it was the only path the country would take.

“Democracy is the most important in the world. We are part of the democratic world. We can’t be anything else. At this time, we are adapting for a return to democracy. But there is still a lot of opposition going on,” he said.

In response to rumours of a rift with Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan over the annual transfer of Army commanders, Prayut said he would never bicker with Prawit “in this life, as well as the next one”.

He said there seemed to be attempts to create a rift between him and Prawit, who are the junta’s most senior figures.

Prawit was Prayut‘s supervisor when they served in the Royal Thai Army.

Separately, the PM told reporters at Government House yesterday that the selection of a new Army chief was not aimed at securing a longer time in power for the current government.

“It is his [the new Army chief’s] duty to support the government. Today, I am the government, so he has to support me,” Prayut said.

He complained that every move by his government seemed to have been viewed as an attempt to cling on to power.

Their release followed the military court’s decision on the third-round 12-day detention request.

The 11 persons, including Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organisation president Boonlert Buranupakorn, and former Chiang Mai MP Thassani Buranupakorn, were scheduled to be released last night.

The releases came with the condition that they cannot travel overseas or cause unrest.

The 11 accused have been charged with criminal association and violating the referendum law after the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) filed complaints with police following a series of Chiang Mai raids in which the offending letters were allegedly found.

A legal team from the NCPO filed as complaint at the Crime Suppression Unit in Bangkok before the suspects were interrogated at Chiang Mai‘s Kawila military camp.

Boonlert returned from overseas to face the charges.

Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said police had solid evidence implicating Boonlert in the alleged violation of the referendum law, so he had been suspended from duty.