The three main political parties are united in their criticism of the charter draft, saying it seeks to place excessive control over politicians.
They did, however, acknowledge that politicians are part of the problem.
Speaking at a public forum held at Mahidol University's Salaya Campus in Nakhon Pathom on how the government is regulated by the charter, key figures from the Pheu Thai, Democrat and Chartthaipattana parties agreed the charter is designed to restrain the power of an elected government and strictly control party policies.
The forum was organised to give information to the public in the lead-up to the Aug 7 referendum on the draft charter.
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Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, a core member of the Pheu Thai Party, said the Meechai Ruchupan draft introduces mechanisms that seek to control any party that wins a majority in the House to the extent that an elected government will not be able to function.
She said an elected government under the Meechai constitution will not be able to implement policies and will fall, unprecedentedly, under the control of the judiciary, independent public agencies and the Upper House.
She noted that independent agencies like the Election Commission, the Office of the Auditor-General and the National Anti Corruption Commission (NACC) are allowed to "suspend" government policies.
According to Khunying Sudarat, while politicians and political parties are in part to blame for the political conflicts, placing them under such strict control will weaken national administration and put the public interest at risk.
"We've suffered a protracted political conflict, and we want to move forward. But after reading the draft charter, I'm concerned about where we're heading, how we will solve the country's problems and how we can be sure that those who will keep tabs on politicians are impartial and fair.
"Where are the checks and balances? These people will try to appease and assure the regime they are doing what is expected of them," she said.
Asked if politicians will make a public commitment to assure citizens they will help resolve the issues, she said discussions must be held first but that they agree they are part of the problem.
However, she said the draft charter does not try to address "root causes" and instead focuses on control and reallocates power among bureaucrats, the military, judges and public independent agencies.
She pointed out that if the draft charter's intention is to promote good governance, controlling politicians is not the solution.
Democrat deputy leader Nipit Intarasombat said the draft charter has been drawn up out of fears of a "majority" in parliament and so it contains mechanisms to prevent any party that wins a majority from rising to power.
He pointed to the second referendum question to back his theory.
The question, proposed by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), asks the public whether parliament should jointly approve a prime minister for a five-year transitional period after a general election.
"I believe a party that wins a majority has a mandate to form the government. There is no reason to keep them out. I can't accept it if the Senate joins in a vote to select the prime minister," he said.
He said Khunying Sudarat has suggested politicians hold talks on how to move the country forward.
"We've made an arrangement. It's not about the referendum. It's not about the charter. People can make the decision for themselves. We can't tell them how to vote. But we'll discuss how we can help usher the country towards peace," he said.
He insisted it is not a political gathering and the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) should support it.
The Chartthaipattana Party's adviser Somsak Prissanananthakul said the draft charter has been written out of "spite" for politicians and it lacks public participation in the process when compared with the 1997 and 2007 versions of the charter.
According to Mr Somsak, the draft charter, which charter drafters say is an anti-corruption one, is likely to undermine democracy.
He also lashed out at the 20-year national strategic plan requirement in the charter draft, saying it will dictate government policies.
The government will also be held accountable if it fails to comply with the 20-year strategic plan, he said.