Muktadesh Desk: The next parliament will work as a constitutional reform council for the first 270 days (9 months) in addition to its regular work. The proposals passed in the referendum will be incorporated into the constitution within this period. The National Consensus Commission has made such recommendations for the implementation of the July National Charter.
However, if the parliament fails to do so, the Consensus Commission has also made an alternative proposal. That is, the government will prepare the constitutional proposals in the form of a draft bill (draft of the Constitution Amendment Act). The bill will be put to a referendum. If it is passed in the referendum, the Constitutional Reform Council will approve the proposals while keeping the original meaning. If the next parliament does not approve them as a constitutional reform council within 270 days, they will automatically be incorporated into the constitution. This was stated by Professor Ali Riaz, Vice-Chairman of the National Consensus Commission.
The Consensus Commission submitted its recommendations for the implementation of the July Charter to Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor to the interim government, on Tuesday afternoon. Later, Ali Riaz spoke at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital. Members of the Consensus Commission were present at the time.
Ali Riaz said at the press conference that the Consensus Commission did not set a specific deadline for the government to hold the referendum. In its recommendation, the commission said that the referendum can be held any day from the issuance of the ‘July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order’ until the day of the national election.
Regarding the referendum, Ali Riaz said that there will be a referendum on a single question in the form of a package. It will be asked whether the charter and the draft bill are being supported or not.
In the discussion of the Consensus Commission, a question was asked about what will happen to the ‘notes of dissent’ of the political parties. In response, Ali Riaz said that they have told the government to take these to the people. After receiving the verdict of the people, the political parties will decide. The commission is giving more importance to the consent or disagreement of the people on 48 issues.
