DEPUTY Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan hit out at former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday for saying she regretted the country was taking a step back by adopting a new charter in a process that was not truly democratic.

“How can she say that? Is she insulting the people? The people have chosen this charter as they believe it will help move the country forward. It’s their business and you can say this is the ‘People’s charter’,” Prawit said.

Yingluck on Monday posted on Facebook that she accepted the people’s decision and was not surprised with the results since people were not free to criticise the draft. She said she had done her best as a Thai citizen in using her voting right, but she regretted the country was moving backward by accepting the charter, which looked like a democratic decision, but actually was not.

Prawit said he had not yet considered easing the ban on political parties holding meetings as the overall situation was peaceful and there was no need yet for them to hold meetings. The new political party act was also not in place yet.

Once the charter’s organic laws were passed, political parties would be allowed to freely hold election campaigns, he said.

Prawit rejected speculation that the government has plans to make all parties start from scratch in the charter’s organic laws, requiring them to re-register. It’s not on the government’s agenda, he said.

At a joint meeting yesterday at Government House before the Cabinet meeting, ministers met with the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) and National Council for Peace and Order, reportedly to discuss the steps forward.

CDC chief Meechai Ruchupan told reporters after the meeting the drafters would work on the next steps that involve preparations for amending the charter and enacting organic laws.

Meechai said the charter amendment involved the additional question to allow the selection of a prime minister by both houses of parliament. It should be enacted by October or November if there were no problems, he said.

The process should take about 90 days to complete. The CDC would amend the charter before handing it to the Constitutional Court for review and then the Cabinet will propose it for royal endorsement, Meechai said.

The CDC will hold its first meeting tomorrow to discuss the amendment along with the drafting of 10 organic laws to pave the way for an election. This would require another 240 days or eight months to complete.

Meechai said that the drafters would unofficially invite some politicians to share their thoughts on organic laws. The CDC will focus on four essential laws involving the election of MPs, the Senate, Election Commission, and political parties, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said that at the meeting, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha repeatedly called on the parties to insist on an election by 2017.