"The voters should know what kind of charter they will finally get if they reject the draft from the drafting assembly," said Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva during a seminar held by the Election Commission (EC).

According to the interim charter of 2006, the EC will hold a referendum if the CDA approves the draft. If the majority of voters rejects the draft in the referendum, the CNS will pick one of the 17 previous charters, which could be adjusted before being implemented.

Politicians and academics are concerned that the junta has a hidden agenda to retain its power through the condition.

Abhisit said the CNS should tell the public which one of the previous charters it would pick and how it would adjust its content.

Pongthep Thepkanchana, a deputy of the Thai Rak Thai Party, supported Abhisit's appeal. He said the CNS seemed to want to force people to accept what it handed out.

If voters rejected the draft of the panel, they would not have another chance to amend or renew it, he said.

The CNS would choose one of the previous charters and could adjust it to protect itself while the people would have no choice but to accept it, Pongthep said.

 "It's unfair to the voters, so the CNS should make it clear how its charter would look if the draft is rejected," he added.

Likhit Dhiravegin, the Thai Ground Force Party leader, said if the CNS failed to show which of the previous charters it would choose, the public would have no faith that it was being given the best charter.

The previous charters included ones written by military dictators and those backed by people power, he said.

As some charters left room open for a non-elected prime minister, which led to mass protests to oust Suchinda Kraprayoon in the Black May uprising of 1992, the CNS should make its position clear on the issue, Likhit added.

Weerayut Chokchaimadon

The Nation