TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Thailand's ruling junta on Thursday appointed 200 members to a new legislature dominated by serving and former military or police officers, keeping a close grip on power while taking a small step toward recreating civilian-data-style governing institutions, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The appointments were endorsed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej and posted on the website of the Royal Gazette, which publishes new laws.

More than half the 200 members are former or current military officers or police, including a brother of the junta's leader, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha. The appointments come two months after the military seized power and ousted what remained of an elected government.

Other members of the new legislature include legal experts, academics and technocrats. There was no indication that any of the members are supporters of two former elected prime ministers, Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra.

"The groups of active and retired military men who were appointed to the legislature represent groups inside the military that will enable [the junta] to still control it," said Panithan Wattanayakon, a political and security analyst.

Mr. Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in 2006. The remnants of Ms. Yingluck's government were deposed by Gen. Prayuth in the country's 12th military coup on May 22, after she was ordered by a Thai court to step down from office amid charges by a group of senators that she had abused her power by demoting a senior bureaucrat. Ms. Yingluck denied the charges.

The new National Legislative Assembly, operating under a new charter promulgated by the military, will replace the House of Representatives and the Senate. The new assembly will be in charge of approving new laws and a new prime minister chosen by Gen. Prayuth, and later of approving a cabinet.

The legislative will have its first meeting next Thursday, according to another announcement published Thursday in the Royal Gazette.

Even with the new legislative branch in place, Gen. Prayuth and the military's ruling body will still command almost-absolute power over the Southeast Asian country's political developments.

The regime adopted a provisional constitution last week outlining the formation, role and responsibility of the legislative assembly, a new government, a reform council and a committee to draft a new, permanent constitution.

Clauses in the provisional constitution grant the junta broad powers to veto drafts of the new, permanent constitution and to intervene in politics without having to get approval from a civilian government.

The charter is open-ended and it is not clear how long the new institutions will remain in place.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL | WC | WW