The warning came after a report that the lawyer and former deputy prime minister may be asked to lead the drafting body.

"I don't know why they want to increase problems when they already have enough at the moment," said former senator Karun Sai-ngam, who is also a member of the 100-person Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA).

Karun said that if the Council for National Security (CNS) made such a move it would discredit the constitution drafting process from the very beginning.

"I think Khun Wissanu will understand that it won't be beneficial to the process," he said.

Chirmsak Pinthong, another former senator and CDA member, expressed similar sentiments, saying appointing the former deputy PM would make people think the CDA

was a mere rubber stamp.

"Wissanu is an able person and knowledgeable about law. But I'm not sure about his [political] stance, whether he stands by the people or not," he said.

Such a move would raise more questions and severely discredit the junta. "It would become the next time-bomb," he said.

Pairoj Pholpetch, secretary general of the Union of Civil Liberty, who is helping to draft a parallel "people's constitution", said involving Wissanu would be akin to dragging Thailand back to a dark age.

"It would be tantamount to the CNS trying to ensure they continue to hold on to power, which is contrary to what they claimed when moving to undertake political reform," he said.

Wissanu was viewed as a legal expert who helped the previous regime cling to power through legal loopholes, he alleged.

Pairoj urged the junta to allow greater public participation.

Wissanu was not able to be reached during press time yesterday.

Pravit Rojanaphruk,

Praphasri Osathanond

The Nation