Consensus talks: Poor progress may delay July Charter

Political parties have failed to reach an agreement on any reform proposals for the fifth consecutive day of the consensus talks.

This casts doubt on whether the National Consensus Commission will be able to release the July Charter, a document outlining reform proposals agreed upon by the parties, by the end of next month, as expected.

The consensus commission yesterday held talks with 30 political parties at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital. It was the seventh day of the second round of talks on reforms.

The commission initially planned to finalise the charter by July 16 and then aimed for the end of the month, said a member, requesting anonymity.

Since the discussions began on June 2, nine issues have been discussed so far, and the parties have agreed on only two.

The commission has plans to hold discussions over a dozen other matters in the coming days.

The delays are mainly caused by issues and conditions raised by the parties, said a commission member.

"If talks go on at this pace, it will be difficult for us to prepare the Charter by July," the member added.

At the beginning of the discussion yesterday, Prof Ali Riaz, vice-chairman of the consensus commission, said, "We made progress in certain areas over the last week. To be honest, we are still somewhat behind in making the kind of progress we had hoped for."

We made progress in certain areas over the last week. To be honest, we are still somewhat behind in making the kind of progress we had hoped for.

— Prof Ali Riaz Vice-chairman of National Consensus Commission

He said he was uncertain about when the much-anticipated July Charter would be signed.

"There's only one day left before the month of July begins. The commission is committed. We hoped to sign the charter collectively on the death anniversary of Abu Sayed [July 16]. Whether that will be possible depends on you [political parties]. We may not be able to achieve that. We must reach a conclusion within July," Prof Riaz said.

He emphasised that achieving progress was crucial because "none of us want to go back to where we were".

He urged political parties to bear in mind that the commission was not their opponent, because it was merely fulfilling a responsibility.

The two matters on which the parties agree are: first, lawmakers will be allowed to vote against party lines, except on no-confidence motions and finance bills; and second, opposition MPs will chair at least four key parliamentary standing committees.

On June 18, the BNP and like-minded parties opposed a proposal to form the National Constitutional Council, which was supposed to oversee appointments to constitutional bodies and the position of chief adviser to caretaker governments.

Several political parties, including the Jamaat-e-Islami and National Citizen Party, supported the proposal.

On June 19, political parties remained poles apart over how the president should be elected.

The method of electing the president came up in the discussions again in the second phase, and the BNP rejected a proposal to elect the president through an electoral college, comprising MPs and local government representatives.

The Communist Party of Bangladesh and the LDP said the current system, in which MPs alone elect the president, should remain unchanged, while the Jamaat and the NCP endorsed the idea of an electoral college.

On June 22, after two days of discussions, all political parties, except the BNP and two others, agreed that an individual cannot be the prime minister for over 10 years.

The consensus commission, on June 25, revised the structure and functions of the proposed National Constitutional Council and renamed it as the Committee for Appointments to Constitutional and Statutory Bodies. It also dropped "pluralism" from the proposed basic principles of the constitution because the BNP, Jamaat, and several other Islamic parties were against it.

Unlike the proposed NCC, the committee will not oversee the appointment of the chief adviser because the BNP and like-minded parties were against it.

In the coming days, the commission will also hold discussions on several other key issues, including the process for amending the constitution, declaring a state of emergency, women's representation in local government bodies, formation of district coordination councils, and the establishment of an independent commission for redrawing boundaries of constituencies.

NO BREAKTHROUGH

At yesterday's discussion, most parties except the BNP and its allies supported the formation of the Committee for Appointments to Constitutional and Statutory Bodies.

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said amendments to current laws to appoint individuals to constitutional posts would be enough.

NCP leader Javed Rasin said at the meeting that the process stalled after hours of discussions.

"I propose that the commission first consult Salahuddin Bhai or the BNP about the proposals. Let them identify the ones they agree on, and only then should the commission bring them to the floor for discussion. Otherwise, there's no point in holding talks like this," he said.

Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher said, "It seems achieving consensus on such matters is nearly impossible."

Most participating parties suggested that the upper house be elected through proportional representation. However, the BNP, and several other parties opposed it.

Salahuddin at the meeting said that his party agreed to a bicameral legislature, 100 seats in the upper house, and having deputy speakers from the opposition in both houses.

However, the BNP wanted upper house seats to be allocated based on lower house constituencies; the Jamaat and NCP supported the commission's proposal; two leftist parties and the Amjanata Party opposed the idea of an upper house.

The Khelafat Majlish said those opposing the bicameral legislature were creating confusion.

"On the one hand, they talk about institutional independence, and on the other, they claim the executive's hands are being tied. That's contradictory. The executive branch should not interfere in appointments to constitutional bodies," said its Secretary General Ahmad Abdul Quader.

NCP Member Secretary Akhter Hossain said if upper house seats were allocated based on lower house, it would merely replicate the lower house.

He also expressed doubts over the success of the consensus effort. "The BNP and its allies continue to disagree on fundamental reforms. And even after hours of discussion, nothing is being resolved.

"Around this time last year, we dreamed of a Bangladesh with decentralised power, accountability, and institutional balance. If constitutional bodies remain under the prime minister's control, then these talks, and bloodshed of so many, will mean nothing."

If reforms are not done, the NCP may reconsider its participation in the next election, he added.

Islami Andolan Bangladesh leader Ashraf Ali Akon said that unless the lower house was not based on proportional representation, his party would oppose the proposal for the upper house.

Zonayed Saki of Ganosamhati Andolon proposed naming the lower house Jatiya Sangsad and the upper house Jatiya Parishad.