In the survey, conducted between December 13 and 20, 34.88 per cent of respondents believed so, while 25.99 per cent also believed that the new charter would serve the interests of the CNS.

In hindsight, the majority of respondents, 51.9 per cent, said they were satisfied with the September 19 coup that ousted the Thaksin government, 77.19 per cent believing the previous administration had been corrupt.

However, 37.2 per cent of respondents disapproved of the nullification of the 1997 Constitution.

Based on the poll results, Rangsit University suggested that the CNS speed up its investigation into alleged corruption during the Thaksin years.

The public are closely following the drafting of a new charter, so the CNS has to ensure that it is better than the previous one, the poll suggested, noting that the public would be watching closely to see if the CNS clung to power through proxies after its promised exit in late 2007.

The interim Surayud government still has the general support of the public and should focus on promoting ethics and good governance, even though the Southern violence issue is still unresolved, the poll indicated.