Politicians said such an arrangement would severely erode the legitimacy of the election, which is expected to be held late next year and is supposed to return democracy to the country.

They also warned that the image of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) would be badly damaged.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam agreed with politicians, saying the proposal for the NCPO to oversee the election could lead to credibility problems.

“The NCPO may have the power to do so but they must also consider whether it is appropriate. If the NCPO deals with the election directly through its military, police and civilian personnel, there may be criticism. There are risks involving legal and credibility issues,” Wissanu said.

The NRSA’s political reform committee proposed that the NCPO and Interior Ministry help the EC to ensure a free and fair election when voters go to the polls next year.

Nikorn Jamnong, a member of the panel and a politician from the Chart Thai Pattana Party, said yesterday the proposal was not finalised as the committee would complete its report on recommendations for organic laws in the new constitution at its next meeting on Tuesday.

A finalised report would then be forwarded to the NRSA, he said.

According to Nikorn, politicians who are members of the panel disagreed with the proposal but they were a minority on the committee.

He said if the NCPO jointly oversaw the election with the EC, the return to democracy would be undermined.

“Our country is now a semi-democracy already. If the NCPO is allowed to hold the election, our democracy will be even further diminished,” the politician said.

Democrat Party politician Watchara Petchthong said yesterday it seemed the proposal came from people who were making a zealous effort to please the NCPO. He warned that if implemented, the proposal would worsen the image of Prayut as the NCPO head. “The prime minister should instead leave the job to the EC only,” he said.

Democrat deputy leader Nipit Intarasombat also questioned the neutrality of the Interior Ministry in holding elections, adding that unlike the EC the ministry was often overseen by a politician.

He said the proposal for the Interior Ministry to oversee elections would take the country backwards because the EC had been set up mainly to ensure elections were free from political influence.

Meanwhile, Wissanu criticised the Constitutional Court for twice refusing to consider the revised draft constitution submitted by the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) on the grounds of a technicality. He said the court should have accepted the revised draft for consideration in accordance with its duty under the interim charter.

“People may view this as an attempt to buy time because there will be a delay,” Wissanu said.

The court refused to consider the CDC’s draft, arguing that the commission failed to follow the proper procedure in submitting questions.