"I confirm my party has prepared a way out, bracing for any eventuality in politics under the parliamentary system," he said.

Chaturon said he would reveal the details of his plan following the May 30 verdict by the Constitution Tribunal on his party's electoral-fraud case. If found guilty, the party could be penalised by dissolution.

He spoke in reaction to comments by lawmaker Chai-anan Samudvanija, who predicted the dismantling of the former ruling party. "Chai-anan's prediction may be confirmation that the junta has planned the party's dissolution in advance," he said.

He said some of Chai-anan's past comments had mirrored the thinking of the junta and Chai-anan should clarify whether he had been tipped off by the junta or was merely expressing an academic view.

He said his party was braced for any outcome of the judicial review because the government and the junta appeared to have been bent on a guilty verdict all along.

Turning his attention to the constitution-drafting process, he said the authorities were trying to mislead voters into believing that they could only vote to endorse the new constitution. "This is an insult to the people, dictating how they should cast their votes," he said.

Pracharaj Party leader Snoh Thienthong said the new charter should not allow the government to accumulate too much power and should have provisions for easy removal of a rogue prime minister.

Democrat Party deputy leader Alongkorn Pollabutr said he supported draft provisions requiring disclosure of assets by MPs and senators. In the past only Cabinet members have had to make such disclosures.

Alongkorn suggested the constitution draft be revised to include a ban on MPs and senators bidding for government contracts. This would be a stricter measure than the draft provision banning involvement in state concessions, he said.