The Constitution Drafting Committee has defended a proposal to strip the Election Commission of its power to organise polls and transfer the duties to other agencies.
The committee denied claims the move is a regressive step, saying it would help boost the overall efficiency of elections.
The CDC concluded on Friday that a new charter should change the remit of the EC so that it only supervises elections.
The task of actually organising polls would be handed to the Interior Ministry, the Education Ministry and the Public Health Ministry.
CDC spokesman Lertrat Rattanawanich said the changes would reduce the EC's administrative workload, by alleviating it of duties such as printing voting ballots and arranging election venues.
The proposal would also shield the EC from accusations of being partisan in arranging election venues to benefit canvassers working for particular politicians, Gen Lertrat said.
He added that the CDC has agreed the EC should only be able to issue yellow cards for poll violations under the new charter.
The power to issue red cards against candidates accused of breaking election laws should be transferred to the courts in the future, he said.
Under the current system, candidates issued yellow cards are allowed to compete in election re-runs, but those given red cards are disqualified.
Based on the CDC plans, the EC will have to endorse at least 85% of winning candidates within 30 days of an election under the new charter, Gen Lertrat said. This will allow a new House of Representatives to convene its first meeting.
He said the CDC has also agreed the number of EC members should remain at five, but these commissioners will each be limited to a single six-year term in office.
Critics said the proposal to curtail the EC's remit harks back to the old electoral system in which the Interior Ministry was in charge of organising polls.
The ministry was heavily criticised for unfair practices in the past. But CDC member Banjerd Singkhaneti said the committee wanted to draw a clear line between the practical organisation of the polls and the overall supervision of the voting process.
Mr Banjerd brushed aside criticism the changes will weaken the EC, saying the CDC wants elections to be supervised more efficiently, allowing the scope of the poll agency's responsibility to be more clearly defined.
He argued the EC's proposed role would differ little from its current one. It would still be authorised to instruct other agencies to organise elections under its supervision, he said.
Suchit Bunbongkarn, another CDC member, said the plan is not a retrograde step, since the Interior Ministry will not be left to organise elections on its own and will have help from other departments.
He said the EC needs to focus more on the big picture and ensure efficiency in the electoral system as a whole.
EC chairman Supachai Somcharoen called for the agency to retain its power to issue red cards for poll violations under the new constitution. He added that the CDC proposals on the EC are not final, since they are yet to be endorsed by the National Reform Council.
Deputy Democrat Party leader Nipit Intarasombat yesterday published a Facebook post on the issue.
He said the electoral system had freed itself from the Interior Ministry, warning that it would be regressive to entrust the department with holding elections again.
Mr Nipit said the Interior Ministry could sway election outcomes if it regains the power to organise polls.
But former Pheu Thai Party MP for Nonthaburi Udomdej Rattanasathian threw his support behind the proposal.
In past elections, the EC had to seek help from personnel at other state agencies to hold elections, so putting different state agencies directly in charge should help boost efficiency, he said.
He also agreed the EC should be stripped of its power to issue red cards.
Allowing the courts to rule on election violations would be more acceptable, Mr Udomdej said.