The Constitution Drafting Assembly has sought Bt3 billion from the Cabinet to frame the new charter and hold a plebiscite for its approval, a source said yesterday.

Although the 1997 constitution required only Bt17 million for drafting committees and Bt76 million for nationwide public hearings, the CDA needs up to Bt2 billion because procedures call for the 2007 charter to be subject to a national vote.

The CDA plans to spend heavily to publicise the new constitution to prevent the public from misunderstanding and rejecting it.

The government has already agreed to Bt9 million in meeting allowances for CDA members.

The CDA will also push for a law to punish those who could be planning to obstruct the plebiscite, the CDA deputy chairman said.

Concerning an allegation that some politicians might plan to hire a number of people nationwide to vote against the new charter draft in an attempt to undermine the junta's credibility, Seri Suwanpanont said the CDA would attempt to empower the referendum's restrictions by turning it into law.

That way, those who violated the law would face criminal charges.

However, Seri said the new law would not punish those who did not go to the ballot.

Meanwhile, CDA member Charan Phakdithanakul believed party-list MPs should vanish from the Thailand's electoral system.

He said the party-list MPs had lost touch with the voters, so they did not know their real needs. In other words, he added, the party-list MPs only had money - which was enough to become MPs or ministers.

Democrat Party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban said he did not mind if the party-list system was kept or if the number of MPs was cut from 500 to 300.

The point was how all parties could ensure the next poll would be clean and fair, he added.