Yutthaporn said democracy was not about achieving a goal, but also gave importance to the learning process, and this could not be driven via a special power, he said.

And such power could not help reconciliation because that could only materialise via dialogue, which concerned parties had to take part in. More importantly, a universal rule, which could apply to all equally, needed to be assured to facilitate it – and this was a charter that had to be acceptable for all, he said.

Yutthaporn said the recommendation by Cabinet was likely to cause the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) more controversy, as the public was sceptical about attempts to create a special body that could overrule future governments, he said.

The recommendation, he said, was an attempt to address a problem with an administrative approach, but it may not work well under democratic principles.

Meanwhile, Democrat Party deputy leader Ongart Klampaiboon also noted yesterday that the CDC should scrap the proposal in order for the charter draft to pass a national referendum.

The proposal had been questioned by the public, he said, on whether it would prolong the power of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

The charter drafters could maintain productive, beneficial clauses on all well-rounded anti-corruption mechanisms, stricter qualifications for candidates for political positions, severe punishment against election fraud, he said.

Pheu Thai figure and former foreign minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul claimed that the charter draft, if enacted, would prevent an elected government from efficiently administering the country for the people.

Surapong said the NCPO should engage in talks with concerned parties to find the best way out of an impasse so the country can move forward, adding that the government had failed to run the country well, as economic problems had become more severe.