BANGKOK
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday rejected a proposal to bar members of his military government, as well as members of military-appointed assemblies, from politics for two years, local media reported.
The plan by the Constitution Drafting Committee is designed to guarantee that those currently reforming the political system would not try to cling onto power once their task is completed, committee members said.
Members of the military-appointed National Legislative Assembly and the National Reform Council also expressed strong opposition to the proposal.
“The only people who have to be barred from political activities are the members of the Constitution Drafting Committee,” Chan-ocha said, according to the Matichon news website.
“Nobody should suspect the current government to want to cling to power. If we wanted to keep power, we could just do it straightforwardly.”
The interim constitution, imposed after the military seized power last May, stipulates that the 36 members of the drafting committee should not be involved in politics for two years after the new constitution is finalized to avoid “conflict of interests.”
On Wednesday, committee member Jade Donavanik revealed a clause barring members of the junta, the assembly and the reform council for a similar length of time was also being discussed.
“I think it would be a good idea to eliminate the junta from politics to promote justice for every side,” he said.
His comments provoked a strong reaction from those targeted by the proposal.
Peerasak Porjit, vice-president of the assembly, said: “If there was such a possibility of being barred then I would not have agreed to be in the National Legislative Assembly.” He threatened to resign if the scheme was adopted.
A well-informed Thai judicial source recently told The Anadolu Agency the military had begun to prepare a political party in order to compete during the general election planned for early 2016.
According to the source, the pro-military party would appoint current Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan as prime minister in the event of winning the poll.
A clause in the constitution being drafted allows someone who is not an elected assembly member to become prime minister if proposed by a majority of lawmakers.
Thailand experienced a similar situation in 1992 when a pro-military party, the Samakhi Tham, won the election and selected General Suchinda Kraprayoon as prime minister.
His appointment led to bloody anti-government demonstrations.
The Thai military, led by Chan-ocha and Wongsuwan, overthrew the elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra last year before abolishing the constitution and imposing martial law.
