A new battlefront is emerging after the government signalled it would drop the draft police reform proposals with time running out before the election and the government hoping to deliver on the reform promise.
Witthaya Kaewparadai, a member of the defunct National Reform Council (NRC), said Sunday the reforms drawn up by a panel headed by former supreme commander Boonsrang Niumpradit may be in breach of the charter and would need to change, a sentiment shared by the government.
Mr Witthaya said he would favour the bill, if it is rewritten, giving the Justice Ministry a role in vetting a police investigation before the file is sent to prosecutors. This could emerge as a crucial focal point of the rewrite, which is likely to be headed by Constitution Drafting Committee head Meechai Ruchupan.
"The reform draft law fails to ensure a good balance between the authority of the police investigators and public prosecutors," said Mr Witthaya.
"It has dismayed us because it fails to enable cross examination by organisations capable of performing the task," he said of the draft organic law prepared by Gen Boonsrang's panel.
The draft has provoked criticism, in particular that its provisions are weighted in favour of the police force.
Mr Boonsrang said he believed that without letting the ministry's investigators cross-examine evidence, the draft would not conform with the constitution. The charter clearly calls for reform in seven areas, among them the need to strike a balance between the authority of police investigators and the public prosecutors, he said.
Mr Witthaya said he still believes that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) can solve the problems.
"If the NCPO can't achieve this civil servant system reform, don't expect any other governments to make it happen. My hopes now rest on the NCPO in its remaining year," he said.
Mr Witthaya's comments followed the latest development in the drafting of the bill. On Friday, a panel examining the organic law signalled that it might not take the bill forward.
After its first meeting on Friday, panel member Kamnoon Sidhisamarn admitted the panel chaired by Mr Meechai Ruchupan is likely to drop the whole draft and write a new one.
In response to this suggestion, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam insisted the Boonsrang committee had not wasted its time, as Pol Gen Boonsrang now has an opportunity to add, through the Meechai panel, some useful recommendations.
"The PM has stressed that what can immediately be implemented should be done first such as the reform of the police reshuffle. But if it's possible to reform the entire police organisation all at once, that will the be best course of action," said Mr Wissanu.
In another development, political pundits expressed their concerns over the direction in which the political situation is heading.
Alongkorn Ponlaboot, a former Democrat MP and deputy chairman of the defunct National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA), warned the military regime against repeating past mistakes in the country's politics, which have led to 13 military coups since the 1932 Siamese revolution. He was referring to media reports about attempts by the military regime to form a new political camp to pave the way for the regime to return to power.
Meanwhile, Suriyasai Katasila, deputy dean of Rangsit University's Social Innovation College, warned the regime's efforts in setting up a political party by recruiting members of other parties would not be sustainable.
"So a party to be set up to support Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha should study the past. And if it plans to proceed with national reforms after the election, it should do something about the party's structure to give some hope," he said.
Mr Suriyasai, a former coordinator for the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), said the post-election government is unlikely to bring any changes to the country if the new party focuses on recruiting members only.
"If the regime wants to form a party to stand in elections, it has every right to. But it needs to come up with something new. The stakes are high and [winning an election] could be more difficult than staging a coup," he said.
He was referring to the latest political development in which Palang Chon Party leader Sonthaya Khunplome was named an adviser to the prime minister. Mr Sonthaya's inclusion in the military government was widely seen as part of a political deal to pave way for Gen Prayut's return to power as the prime minister after the polls.
Prasert Chantarawongthong, a Pheu Thai member in Nakhon Ratchasima, criticised the regime for using an old trick of poaching politicians from other camps. He also called on Gen Prayut to announce his plans to enter politics and let the people decide.
