In his reaction to the July Charter, which was sent to political parties on Saturday, National Citizen Party Convener Nahid Islam said it would only be possible to implement the charter if the parliamentary elections are held together with the constituent assembly elections.
A constituent assembly is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution.
In an exclusive interview with Stream on Saturday night, Nahid, one of the key figures of the 2024 July Uprising that culminated in the ouster of the Awami League regime, also said the Proportional Representation system should be in the upper house.
The following are excerpts from the interview.
Stream: The final draft of the July National Charter has been sent to the political parties. How do you think it can be implemented?
Nahid: The charter can only be sustainably implemented if the parliamentary and constituent assembly elections are held together. Otherwise, we remember what happened in the '90s. It did not work out then.
Stream: It seems there are a lot of discussions and debates about the Proportional Representation system. What is your take?
Nahid: We think that the Proportional Representation system should be in the upper house. We do not want PR in the lower house. The representation in the upper house should be proportional because this would ensure a balance of power and accountability. This is one of the key issues in our framework for fundamental reform. The BNP has submitted some notes of dissent, but we hope the party will agree on this.
Stream: Do you think the charter should be recognised by the constitution?
Nahid: We believe the Charter should be turned into an LFO [legal framework order] and elections should be held under it. If an election is held under the current constitution, the July Charter will not really have any footing.
The parliamentary and constituent assembly elections should be held together. We believe this could provide a solution. Since many parties are calling for a parliamentary election early, we want to combine both.
Stream: Can these things be agreed upon before the election?
Nahid: It depends on political consensus. The election can be held in February if the political parties agree on the reforms and the July Charter. The key issue is the legal foundation of the charter and the constituent assembly election.
Stream: Of the 84 points discussed at the consensus talks, how many need to be agreed upon for it to be considered a national consensus?
Nahid: We have put forth an outline for the basic reforms. We emphasise on the main reforms. Agreements have been reached on the basic reforms. We made compromises on many issues. The PR system is still being debated. Consensus will ultimately depend on how the July Charter is implemented.
Stream: Do you find the current situation satisfactory?
Nahid Islam: No, we do not find the situation satisfactory. We hoped that the July Charter would be finalised by 5 August. But it didn't happen. The government's move towards the election is putting the reforms at risk. A declaration was given on 5 August, not the charter. The declaration created controversies. It refers to the elected parliament, where the consensus commission has not yet determined what will happen next.
Stream: What does your legal team recommend?
Nahid Islam: The suggestion we get is elections under LFO. We will make no compromises on key areas like PR in the upper house, two-term limit for the prime minister, and appointment of constitutional and statutory institutions.
Stream: What is the main challenge in implementing the July Charter?
Nahid: The main challenge right now is deciding how it will be implemented. Everything depends on expert opinions and the consensus of political parties.
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