This includes the appointment or dismissal of state officials, approval of government payments in advance and use of government resources or personnel to directly or indirectly affect election results.

CDA member Pichien Amnajworaprasert had sought a change in the draft. He said when the House is dissolved, cabinet members should not stay on in a caretaker capacity as they could abuse power to benefit their campaigns, including approving projects to get "under the table" commissions.

Instead, the permanent secretaries of each ministry should control day-to-day administration until the new government took power, he said.

CDA member Charan Phakdithanakul, as a member of the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC), believed the CDC draft was good enough to handle Pichien's concern.

He said permanent secretaries were not political experts and could not handle the government in transition. Moreover, as full-time state officials they did not have the authority to implement state policies [as elected politicians do], he noted.

Yesterday's debate focused on the seven-month period since Thaksin dissolved the House in February 24 until the military staged the coup. Thaksin ignored calls for his resignation, saying the 1997 charter stated that the prime minister should take care of the government until the new Cabinet assumed power.

As the Constitution Court cancelled the April 2 poll, his caretaker Cabinet continued in office. It approved an annual reshuffle of high-ranking state officials ahead of the new poll scheduled on October 15. Moreover, some government projects for rural areas were approved under the caretaker government.

Opposition parties cried foul over the "abuse of power", which they said Thaksin employed to boost the popularity of himself and the Thai Rak Thai Party ahead of the poll.

Weerayut Chokchaimadon

The Nation