If the deadline passed, the dire consequence would be the junta's intervention to promulgate the charter of its choice.

"I am worried about the number of draft provisions left unscrutinised - this could mean the CDA's failure to meet the June 30 deadline," Noranit said.

The deliberation on 299 draft provisions must be completed within the deadline if the CDA is to have sufficient time to vote on the vetted draft. The new constitution should completed by July 6 in order to allow 45 days for preparations for the August 19 referendum.

Noranit said he was considering whether to increase the vetting sessions from four to five days per week. He also urged CDA members to better manage the time spent debating draft provisions.

Meanwhile, the CDA and the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) held an informal session to thrash out their differences in order to speed up the deliberations on the draft.

Emerging from the session, CDC secretary Somkid Lertpaitoon said the CDA was slated to vote on three contentious issues, including the number of House seats, how to organise the proportionate vote known as the party-list system, and whether the Senate should be an elected body or a mixed system of elections and appointments.