If the charter court turns down their petition against the government's rice price scheme, lecturers and students of Thammasat University and the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) will then submit it to the Office of the Ombudsman instead, a spokesman for the group said on Thursday.
Praipol Khumsap, a lecturer at Thammasat University, said Office of the Ombudsman would be asked to freeze the controversial populist policy.
The rice scheme opens ways for corruption and that would be damaging to the country, he added.
Asked whether they would submit their case directly to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Mr Praipol said they would not.
The premier had clearly stated that government had no intention of altering or abandoning the rice-purchase programme, he said.
The group comprising 146 lecturers and students from the Nida and Thammasat University on Oct 27 petitioned the Constitution Court seeking an end to the government’s rice price pledging scheme.
They argue the scheme is unconstitutional, that the government is trying to monopolise the rice trade, is competing with the private sector, and is distorting the pricing mechanism.
The group has publicly accused the government of violating Article 43 and 81 (1) of the constitution by interfering in the market through price intervention and of disrupting the free market by setting up a monopoly.
The Constitution Court on Tuesday initially rejected the petition. Court spokesman Pimol Thammapitakpong said the Nida and Thammasat University academics and students must indicate in their petition which articles of the charter are relevant to their seeking recourse through a court ruling. They can then re-submit the petition.
A large number of members of the Farmers Network on Tuesday rallied in front of the Nida building compound in Bangkok demanding the academics to drop their court challenge.
About 500 farmers in the Northeast yesterday blocked the Mitraphap Highway in front of the entrance road to the Nida’s Si Kiew campus in Nakhon Ratchasima to express their opposition to the academics’ move.
They peacefully dispersed after a Nida representative receives their protest letter.
Defence Minister ACM Sukampon Suwannatat on Thursday reaffirmed his support for the government's rice pledging scheme.
He said the programme would help farmers by raising their income and he did not think it would cause severe damage to the country as some fear.