Bancherd Singkaneti, a lecturer at Thammasat University, led a group of five academics to meet CDR head General Sonthi Boonyaratglin and Interim Charter Drafting Committee chairman Meechai Ruchuphan.

The first draft of the interim charter has proposed that the CDR pick half of the 200 candidates for the Constitution Drafting Assembly. The assembly will then nominate 25 people as charter writers. Ten of these will be approved by the CDR (or CNS, as it will become).

One proposal was that the short-list of 25 be separated into two groups. The first group should comprise 15 members selected by the Constitution Drafting Assembly, while the second would be made up of 10 experts picked from different sectors.

Interim charter : Media groups seek full press freedom

Media representatives are to meet the leaders of the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR) today to demand that full freedom of expression be enshrined in the interim charter to be enacted this weekend.

Media groups held a meeting yesterday to discuss post-coup measures introduced by the CDR after the overthrow of the Thaksin government and agreed to convey their utmost concern to the council leaders.

At today's meeting, the senior professionals representing Thailand's mainstream media will tell the CDR leaders they must not fear the existence of pro-Thaksin media outlets. The CDR will also be told its international image will improve if it allows a free media.

Policy explanation : Appeal to provincial governors

The Council for Democratic Reform yesterday called on governors around the country to accept its policies.

A source from the CDR said council leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin would explain the scope of the Interior Ministry's operations set out in eight important policies.

He said the CDR chief would tell the governors what was going to happen during the tenure of the military-led interim government and address issues including the populist policies of the Thaksin government such as the SML loan scheme and the Bt30 health scheme. -

Election commission :Ekachai resignation to be considered

Outgoing Election Commission secretary-general Ekachai Warunprapha yesterday turned over the agency's general affairs to EC chief Apichart Sukhaggananda, saying it would consider his resignation today.

Ekachai submitted his resignation after the former commissioners were found guilty of abusing their authority. He said he wanted to give the new EC a free hand. His resignation has yet to take effect.

"The EC will consider my resignation today," he said.

Ekachai spent only 10 minutes with Apichart. He said he also turned over official documents, including those relating to investigations into local elections.