Prayut 'to retain power till new govt is formed'
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CHARTER DRAFTERS AGREE FOR NCPO CHIEF TO HAVE AUTHORITY VIA ARTICLE 44 TILL ELECTED CABINET IS READY TO TAKE OFFICE
THE CONSTITUTION Drafting Committee (CDC) has decided that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and the Cabinet maintain the power to invoke Article 44 of the post-coup interim constitution until a new government is formed, a source said yesterday.
The CDC amended a chapter in the charter draft allowing the NCPO and the government to have full power, including the right to take recourse to Article 44, which gives Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, as NCPO chief, the mandate to exercise absolute powers.
Under the Article, the PM can exercise power over the executive, legislative and judicial branches for security matters and national interest.
The source said if the road map to democracy was extended by two years, the government could remain in place for that period. This would hold true even though certain provisions in the charter draft stipulated otherwise, the source said.
The drafters have yet to decide whether to accept a Cabinet recommendation to increase the number of National Strategic Committee members from 17 to 20.
The CDC has also decided to rename |the National Reform Movement Council |to the Assembly of National Reform Movement.
Meanwhile, National Reform Council member Paiboon Nititawan responded to NRC member Boonlert Kachayudhadej’s question on what he had in his mind when he proposed that the government stay in power for another two years to complete national reform.
Paiboon said he did not provide details on the proposal because he wanted the NRC to discuss the matter. He said fellow NRC member Chirmsak Pinthong had suggested that if the government extended its term, five reform issues could be dealt with such as police reform.
Although Prayut has insisted that his government would hand the reform mission over to the National Strategic Committee, the National Reform Movement Council and a newly elected government, Paiboon wants the public to have the right to decide if the current administration stays in power for another two years.
He suggested that the NRC hold a vote to decide if a plebiscite is held.
‘Not worth effort’
Paiboon said his proposal shared the same objective as a proposal from NRC member Wanchai Sornsiri. He said Wanchai wanted to the NRC to vote down the charter draft so the current administration served a longer term than provided under the road map.
However Wanchai’s proposal would extend the government’s term by only seven months, which was not enough to complete reforms.
“It is not worth the effort and there would not be enough time to complete reform. The voting-down decision may even bring about political opposition and make reform even more difficult,’’ he said.
He said his proposal would create less political conflict and generate more public acceptance because it would be done through a public referendum.
“The Prayut government would have legitimacy to continue in power. It can then exercise power to fulfil the missions as stipulated in four articles on reform in the charter draft,’’ he said.
