BNP's senior leaders on Wednesday accepted that the term limit for prime ministers should be no more than two five-year terms, consecutive or otherwise. However, the decision comes with a catch. The party opposes the formation of the National Constitutional Council (NCC) in any form to oversee the appointment of key constitutional and statutory bodies of the executive.
"We agree that the prime minister's tenure should not go beyond a maximum of 10 years over a lifetime. But, if the executive's authority is reduced through a committee like the NCC, we cannot stand by the term limit (prime minister's) either," said BNP's Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed to the press, after the party's second round of talks with the National Consensus Commission on Wednesday (25 June).
The commission aims to achieve consensus among political parties on reforming the state institutions to create checks and balances between the government and the administration.
Regarding the proposal to institute the NCC, now referred to as the Constitutional and Statutory Appointments Committee (Sasnic), Salahuddin said, "Our point is, why introduce this body into the constitution at all? The existing laws governing appointments to constitutional institutions should be reformed."
"Without addressing these fundamental issues, curtailing the executive body's powers through such a committee is not the solution," he added.
In the meantime, the National Consensus Commission has modified the constitutional council's mandate following the opinion of the political parties. Ali Riaz, head of the Bangladesh Constitutional Reform Commission, said that the previous recommendation to include the president and the chief justice in the constitutional council has been altered.
"Instead, the new committee will consist of the speakers of both the Upper and Lower Houses," he added.
Moreover, the council's mandate will not include appointments such as the attorney general and the chiefs of the armed forces.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, NCP Leader Khaled Saifullah referred to BNP's negotiation technique as symbolic, where the concession is being made to bargain away structural safeguards.
He expresses concern that BNP's proposal to maintain the authority of the executive body may lead to the loosening of the structural safety net.
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