Speaking at a seminar on the new constitution and the future of Thai politics held at Suan Sunantha Rajabhat University, Abhisit also called on the drafters to take into account the opinions of politicians.

The Council for National Security (CNS) is to set up a 2,000-member National People's Assembly that will elect 200 of its members as candidates for the Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA), from which the CNS will pick the final hundred.

Abhisit urged Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont to ensure that CDA members did not enter politics once the new charter is enacted.

He said this would be fair to all who have an interest in the new charter, because members of political parties are already barred.

Abhisit said the drafters should consider the opinions of politicians to avoid the problems of the 1997 constitution, which was drafted without such input, and use that charter as a model by applying its good points in the new document.

Other panellists at the seminar agreed with Abhisit.

Chalerm Yoobam-rung, a founding member of the Thang Luak Mai (alternative) Party, said the 1997 charter should be used as a case study in drafting the new constitution.

He agreed that the CNS should allow politicians a say in the process, saying it wrong for the CNS to bar them from expressing their opinions.

Ponthep Thepkanchana, acting deputy leader of the Thai Rak Thai Party, said the 1997 charter was drafted by people's representatives, making it a useful model.

Parinya Thevanaruemitkul, a law lecturer at Thammasat University, said the drafters should ensure that no coup would abolish the constitution again.