The constitution drafters and the junta should use the 1997 constitution as a basis for drafting the new constitution as people around the world still regard it as one of the best, the People's Network for Election Monitoring (P-Net) and Poll Watch said at a press conference yesterday.

"The 1997 Constitution guaranteed freedom and liberty more than any previous Thai constitutions," said Gen Saiyud Kerdphol, chairman of Poll Watch, who blamed the previous Thaksin Shinawatra administration for circumventing and subverting the constitution.

The group will submit a letter to the Council for National Security, the National Legislative Assembly and the yet to be formed Constitution Drafting Assembly - to state their position on the matter.

They are also calling for the new charter to be clear that future senators must still be selected through elections and not by appointment.

Another demand is for an end to the selection of independent organisations by politicians, along with new measures to allow closer scrutiny of the upper and lower houses.

P-Net coordinator Somchai Srisuttiyakorn said only minor adjustment to the 1997 constitution was needed in order to come up with the new constitution - especially regarding ways the Senate could effectively act as a counter balance to the Parliament.

Somchai said future candidates for the Senate should be able to carry out full-scale election campaigns so that the electorate could decide whether the person was suitable and truly independent or not.

The candidates should also be allowed to either belong to a party or run as an independent, headded.

He also called for an Election Court to ensure free and fair polls.