Yingluck said she wanted to see a new constitution that “belongs to the people and meets international standards”.

She was in effect speaking against a Cabinet call for exceptions to certain constitutional rules during the transition, which Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has said might take about five years.

The ex-prime minister also called for an election as soon as possible. “If you ask Thai people, I believe everyone wants to see a new election and a return of power to the people very soon,” she told reporters.

“I don’t think there should be any mechanism for the transition. I want to see a constitution that belongs to the people and meets international standards, or it will be difficult to explain to foreign investors and other countries.”

Yingluck yesterday went to the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders to attend a witness hearing in the case where she is accused of negligence in connection with her elected government’s rice-pledging subsidy programme.

Speaking about her recent meeting with United Nations officials, Yingluck said they asked about Thailand’s situation and expressed concern over the junta’s “road map” to an election. “They want international rules to restore confidence towards Thailand,” she said.

Yingluck said she was convinced the military’s ruling National Council for Peace and Order would strictly follow the road map, noting that General Prayut had also made an assurance about this. He had said he expected the next election to be held by July next year.

In a related development, Meechai Ruchupan, chairman of the Constitution Drafting Commission, described as “wild imagination” comments by politicians about the charter containing a mechanism for a five-year transitional period. Meechai said the constitution drafters had not written anything about this matter.

“If we do, we will have to disclose it publicly. We won’t just secretly put it in somewhere in the constitution and subject the draft to a referendum,” he said.