The regime has its sights set on placing Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha on a party's list of candidates for prime minister, Pheu Thai deputy leader, Chaturon Chaisaeng, said yesterday.
He said the change in strategy is likely due to a lack of solid support to help return Gen Prayut to power as an "outsider" prime minister after the general election.
An "outsider" prime minister refers to someone who is not on the political parties' lists of candidates submitted to the Election Commission, but who is later voted in by parliament.
"They've done some calculations and found that having him returned as an outsider prime minister is tougher. So they want him to be on a party's candidate list which is easier [to achieve]," he said.
According to Mr Chaturon, to rise to power as an "outsider" prime minister, certain rules have to be circumvented.
First, parliament must fail to select a prime minister in order to pave the way for a joint session between the House of Representatives and the Senate to begin the process of selecting an alternative candidate.
Under this strategy, Gen Prayut would require at least 251 votes in parliament but political parties have made no pledges, he said.
Mr Chaturun's observation follows the cabinet appointment of Palang Chon Party leader Sonthaya Khunplome as an adviser to the prime minister, which is widely seen as part of a political deal to pave way for Gen Prayut's return.
Democrat deputy leader Jurin Laksanavisit, however, said that normally coup-makers extend their stay in power by setting up a new party and recruiting politicians from existing parties to join.
Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul yesterday declined to comment on the appointment of Mr Sonthaya, saying the matter did not concern his party.
"I don't believe that if you are appointed now [as an adviser], you have to support them after. There is still an election to contest. Let's talk when the results come out," he said.
Mr Anutin also stressed that he would be the only candidate that his party would submit to become prime minister.
Asked if he would contribute to the government's work, Mr Anutin said he would convey the people's complaints when the cabinet visits his stronghold in Buri Ram early next month.
Gen Prayut said in his weekly broadcast yesterday that he holds no grudges against politicians in an apparent defence against criticism of Mr Sonthaya's appointment.
"I stress again, I hold no animosities against politicians because most of them are not unethical. But I can't accept those who break the law, oppose the judicial process or state authority," he said.
"I'm ready to work with anyone who upholds the principles of nationalism and public interest," he added.
Politicians and academics, meanwhile, expressed concern about the political landscape after the next polls at a seminar organised by the Association of Political and Electoral Development Institute on political development under the 2017 constitution.
Nikorn Chamnong, a key member of the Chartthaipattana Party, said political polarisation would return and he believed that the next premier would be an outsider prime minister.
"It will be chaos after the general election," he said.
Academic Anek Laothammatat said yesterday that full democracy would be a hard thing to achieve and that the country was likely to switch back and forth between coups and elections, with Thai people neither strongly tied to elected administrations nor loyal to military governments.
