Chief constitution writer Meechai Ruchupan has voiced his support for a discussion between the junta, political parties, and related agencies over poll preparations. Mr Meechai said the prime minister is in a position to help tackle problems that might get in the way of the election roadmap.
Mr Meechai said the dialogue, tentatively set for June, is essential for accommodating the needs of all political parties and removing obstacles that would keep the poll from being held by the February deadline.
The parties have urged the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to lift the political activity ban which prevented them from preparing for the poll.
Presently, political groups have to seek a reprieve from the NCPO to appoint an executive board to formalise their establishment as a political party. Meanwhile, existing parties cannot recruit new members or convene an executive meeting to pass resolutions necessary for poll preparations.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has offered to meet the parties to iron out election-related problems and scheduled the talk for June.
Mr Meechai said Gen Prayut is able and willing to help. The political parties should let the prime minister know at the meeting if they felt any NCPO orders were not conducive for them in carrying out poll preparations effectively.
Mr Meechai, who is chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, said that as chief of the NCPO, Gen Prayut can help fix problems the political parties are encountering. However, he cannot do that without consulting the parties first.
Since Gen Prayut is not a politician by profession, he may be unsure how to address issues each political party is facing.
"A talk can be constructive as it brings problems to the table for an open discussion. In this day and age, it's about forging a common understanding," he said.
Mr Meechai said he is sure that Gen Prayut has a way of dealing with the June meeting which is not being attended by many parties. Some Pheu Thai members have reportedly expressed reluctance to join the talk. Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam commented the talk could be cancelled if no party was interested in taking part.
However, Mr Meechai acknowledged the possibility of the June meeting being deferred due to the validity check of some crucial organic bills by the Constitutional Court.
Pending the court's deliberation are the organic bills on the election of MPs, the selection of senators, and the political parties. The check on the political parties stems from the NCPO's order which the Democrat and the Pheu Thai party complained was forcing established parties to undertake a burdensome task of updating their membership databases.
Mr Meechai said he could not be certain if the NCPO would wait until after the bills have cleared the Constitutional Court before it holds the meeting with political parties.
The CDC chairman said it makes more sense to wait and see what will become of the bills after the charter court passes a ruling. But the talk can proceed at any time since its outcome is not legally binding on any agency or party.
If the MP bill is determined to be constitutional, it will take effect three months after it is published in the Royal Gazette.
After the three months is over, the Election Commission will set the date for a general election within 150 days.
