Thai PM orders Cabinet members to study draft Charter

BANGKOK, April 20 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha has ordered his Cabinet members to study in details the country's first draft Constitution, prior to a joint meeting of the Cabinet and the army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) next month. Prime Minister General Prayut told journalists of the information on Monday, after the Cabinet's weekly meeting earlier in the day. The prime minister did not promise whether there will be a public referendum on the new Thai Charter, saying that the question on the referendum was too early and concerned parties should wait for the National Reform Council (NRC) to finish its ongoing debate on the draft Constitution on April 26 and the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) to adjist its details, as well as to listen to public feedback. The Thai premier stressed, however, as the nation needs reform, detailed national reform needs to be included in the new Charter. Assuring that his interim government is trying to guarantee national progress, the Thai premier asked opponents to comply with laws and base their Charter-related criticisms on facts. Meanwhile, Deputy Government Spokesman Major General Sansern Kaewkamnerd later told a press conference that the prime minister ordered his Cabinet's members and concerned agencies to study the draft Constitution thoroughly and to find out whether and how the draft Charter could support and facilitate national administration and public participation in the national administration in order to benefit the public. (TNA)