Education Minister Wijit Srisa-an chaired a meeting on Friday of those affected by the new bill. He asked the council to weigh both sides. More discussions are expected before the legislation is finalised, he added.

Existing community bodies are against the local-community-organisation council bill. Deputy Prime Minister Paiboon Wattanasiritham and community organisations insist on its benefits.

Friday's meeting gathered Paiboon, Deputy Interior Minister Theerawut Butrsriphum, state councillors and representatives of local administrations and community organisations.

It heard secretary-general of the Assembly of Community Organisations Son Roopsung assert the bill would reform communities, many of which were weak, poor and lacked resources. He said these problems stemmed from lack of community participation in local development. The new councils will improve this, he suggested.

Son said two articles of the draft were misunderstood.

Article six stipulates tambon organisation councils be locally selected from qualified local residents and experts. It excludes representatives from local administrations because councils will work with existing tambon committees on development plans, ahead of proposals to local administrations, he explained.

Son tried to allay fears that tambon-organisation councils would be made redundant.

He said article 19 stipulated "councils shall participate in tambon development plans" and the responsibility to carry out those plans remained with tambon administrations.

A previous draft said the councils would write plans for tambon administrations to implement. Also gone is permission for the new councils to hold public hearings to stop and suspend plans.

Son said the councils would be "councils of collective wisdom to solve problems". He said their existence ensured tambon-administration transparency.

Paiboon argued the bill was designed with the best interests of communities, local administrations and the civil service in mind. It will allow "three-way development", provincial administrations including kamnans and village headmen, local administration bodies and "the people sector, which now has 10,000 community organisations across the country".

He admitted public hearings to date might have been insufficient or not well attended by local-administration bodies. The bill's original version needs adjustment, he agreed.

Paiboon insisted the councils were not part of the civil service. They will be implemented when locals are ready for them, he said.

He concurred there should be local-administration representatives for diversity and believed all sides would either amend the bill or come up with an alternative.

However, many provincial and local-administration supporters continue to object.

Provincial Administration Organisation Council member Amnat Sirichai encouraged a spirit of "coexistence within the family" rather than legislative action.

He added that local administrations already had suggestions for checks and balances.