The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) could meet as early as Friday to pick prospective members of the new Constitution Drafting Committee and the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA), Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said Thursday.
He was responding to a report that Prime Minister and NCPO chief Prayut Chan-o-cha would call a meeting of the NCPO Friday to consider proposed candidates who will make up the 21 charter drafters and 200 members of the NRSA.
"It may be true, I don't dare deny it," Mr Wissanu said when asked about the possibility.
All candidate lists were in the hands of Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, who is also a deputy head of the NCPO.
"The number of candidates exceeded what we needed, so they have to be whittled down, which Gen Prayut might do himself or which the NCPO could do," said Mr Wissanu.
Gen Prayut, who was due to return last night from the UN General Assembly in New York, would have to decide, said Mr Wissanu.
The deadline for selecting the charter drafters and NRSA members is Monday.
The appointments do not require royal endorsement and can be announced in the Royal Gazette right away, he said.
Asked whether legal expert Meechai Ruchupan had formally accepted the invitation to become chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, Mr Wissanu said Mr Meechai had yet to respond.
Mr Wissanu said he last met Mr Meechai over a meal on Wednesday and he said he still has to discuss the matter with Gen Prayut.
Mr Wissanu said it was possible that Mr Meechai, who is also a member of the NCPO, would meet Gen Prayut Friday.
