“We’re experienced in democracy so I don’t think we need a five-year transitional period to run the country,” Prinya told a seminar at the university. “The junta should follow its road map to democracy and not try to exploit the draft.”

Prinya cited the 1991 charter, which allowed junta-appointed senators and an outsider prime minister, despite the junta’s promise at the time to hold elections within six months. The charter caused a massive uproar that eventually led to a bloody military crackdown in the notorious 1992 Black May incident, he said.

The 1991 charter was also written by Meechai Ruchupan, who now chairs the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC), Prinya said.

The vice rector is also a member of a foundation dedicated to commemorate Black May victims.

The CDC should only use democratic mechanisms to combat corruption, he added, contrary to the junta’s use of Article 44, which gives the junta sweeping emergency powers, to address the issue.

Pheu Thai Party politician Chaturon Chaisang said he also believed that the current charter draft’s lack of flexibility allowing for future amendments would result in it eventually being abolished and give rise to another coup in the future.

The draft faces serious objections, Chaturon said, because it would not allow civil society to participate in important decisions. One example is the Constitutional Court’s authority to make decisions regarding political crises.

Selected senators, according to one proposal for the draft, could also overwhelm the elected government’s authority, the former education minister said.

One recent proposal included the possible involvement of National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) members in a future Senate, he said.

In a related development, Meechai said he had amended elements of the charter in line with security-related documents submitted by the office of Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan.

He said he had not held private talks with Prawit yet.

The CDC is now amending the charter draft’s section on independent organisations. Most of the previous version’s vital elements have been left intact, Meechai said, although there have been amendments addressing the controversial authority of the Constitutional Court. The CDC has not yet considered the selection or election of MPs and the Senate, he added.