Bangkok (VNA) - The government and Nati♍onal Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) of Thailand have shifted up a gear in their efforts to lure support for the draft constitution, after the first version drew a mixed response.

Col Thaksada Sungkajan, an assistant government spokesman, said a TV programme titled “Unveiling the New Constitution” will be on air everyday at 8am with a re-run at 6pm from February 3-15. The broadcast explains the essence of the draft, which has drawn strong criticism, and all key points in it, he said. The NCPO has also added more troops to its public relations team, with the same goal of launching an offensive to attract support for the proposed constitution. Gen Veeran Chanthasart, a chief adviser to the Royal Thai Army, has been appointed to lead the public relations drive for both the NCPO and RTA. Meanwhile, Col Piyapong Klinphan was handpicked to work with the team helping NCPO spokesman Col Winthai Suwaree to counter the arguments of politicians and other opponents. The first draft, comprising 270 sections, was denounced by some academics, the Pheu Thai Party and the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, for providing an opportunity for a non-MP to be prime minister and a non-elected senate, among other controversial issues. Pheu Thai Party’s spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard stressed the party's determination to vote down the draft constitution in the referendum. Meechai Ruchupan, who leads the Constitution Drafting Committee, has defended its virtue, saying it was written largely to keep corrupt politicians out of the parliament. On February 2, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha insisted that an election would be held in Thailand in July 2017 amid criticism that a draft constitution unveiled last week would delay the poll.-VNA