The new constitution will produce reconciliation by design, where rival parties would be compelled to work together in a "grand coalition government", charter drafters say.
Leading charter drafters in addressing the issue at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) on Tuesday, Borwornsak Uwanno, chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC), said the essence of the 20th charter is about reconciliation and reforms.
Bowornsak: Reds, yellows could unite
The mixed member proportional representation system (MMP) to be introduced under the constitution would result in conflicting parties working together, with reconciliation the aim, Mr Borwornsak said.
CDC member Navin Damrigan said the German-style MMP election system will provide a more accurate calculation of votes which MP candidates receive and effectively see political parties which previously commanded large pools of MPs reduced in size.
With no political party expected to capture a majority vote in parliament, several parties, including those with opposing policies and political standpoints, will be compelled to come together to build a coalition government.
The MMP system would comprise 250 constituency MP seats and between 200-220 party list seats, a substantial reduction from the previous election. Mr Borwornsak said a likely scenario was that conflicting political parties such as the Democrats and Pheu Thai would combine forces under a coalition government.
The election system would ease the political polarisation where one party elected to office faces moves for its ouster. In the past this has included marshalling supporters to mount protest action on the streets.
"So they need to sit together in this grand coalition civilian government, something the Germans have done," said Mr Borworsak, crediting CDC member Anek Laothammathat with the reconciliation by design model.
After the charter is promulgated, the Reconciliation Committee will be launched comprising 10 appointed members and another five nominated by the main parties. This will help push along the charter drafters' goals of reconciliation even after their work is done.
He said the path to reconciliation will be clearer after the organic laws on elections, parties and the Election Commission are enacted. Mr Anek has talked to Pheu Thai and the party's red-shirt supporters, who have not ruled out the idea of a grand coalition.
