They have called for the adoption of a two-ballot system, plus a system in which senators are selected.

They also believe there should be a chapter on reform agenda items in the constitution, not just a small clause in the transitory provisions.

They spoke during an NLA session in Parliament yesterday in which suggestions on the draft were offered – before formal |recommendations are made.

Many legislators believe the proposed mixed-member apportionment ballot system, or single-ballot system, would favour big parties capable of fielding more constituency candidates and that it would make the vote-buying problem worse.

Under the system in the draft, the number of MP seats a party gets would depend on the votes gained in each constituency and that would disadvantage small parties, they said.

Legislators said another pitfall of the MMA system was that it did not reflect voter intentions. Legislators agreed that the two-ballot system was preferable in this respect.

They said that often voters favoured constituency candidates, but not their parties. With two ballots, they could choose more freely.

They also said having a list of candidates to be prime minister would make the process more confusing.

Klanarong Chantik, an NLA member, said it was possible a voter would favour one party but like another party’s constituency candidate and prefer a third party’s candidate to be PM.

Legislators proposed that drafters review this matter and reconsider the two-ballot system.

Legislator Jate Siratharanon preferred the system proposed by Borwornsak Uwanno, head of the previous drafting panel, as voters are more used to two ballots.

Many representatives voiced concerned on the new selection method in the draft for senators. Besides the bloc vote issue, they deemed the section on 20 social groups vague and the cross-election proposal confusing.

Drafters have said the vote bloc proposal would not be a problem because there would be too many candidates – thousands from across the country – to result in fraud. But legislators were not convinced. They noted a similar method used to selection of members of the National Economic and Social Development Board as an example of how effectively lobbyists could work to corrupt a system.

“Have you not learned the lesson?” Thani Onla-eid, an NLA member and a former selected senator, said.

He added: “The cross election would not work either because how could you say a senator represents his group when he was elected by the other 19?”

Legislators prefer selected senators because they believe the Senate could approve laws and conduct checks and balances with other branches.

They dismissed the notion that senators should be linked with the people as that would be a mere “discourse”. NLA members encouraged future senators to do the right thing for the people and the country rather than listen to voices of objection.

One of the most repeated suggestions made yesterday was on reform. Several lawmakers said reform was a crucial agenda item at the heart of the current regime and should be highlighted more in the charter draft.

They said having reform matters in the transitory provisions was not sufficient. Having a chapter on reform would make sure reform is carried out once the regime hands over power.

After legislators, drafters and reformers met on Wednesday, many suggestions on the draft were made yesterday including those centred on rights and liberties, the national administration and the national strategic plan.

NLA member Wallop Tangkananurak said he wanted |community rights to be clearly stipulation.

Although he said he understood drafters had put them in the state’s duties chapter, it was important they were addressed properly as communities played a major role in taking care of themselves when state authorities sometimes offered insufficient assistance.