The National Citizen Party leaders on Saturday iterated their position for fundamental reforms in state management instruments, particularly the constitution, the electoral system and the judiciary, to prevent the return of any autocratic and fascist regime to the state power.
Speaking to journalists after a dialogue with the National Consensus Commission at the LD Auditorium of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka, they highlighted the importance of peaceful transition of power, balance in executive power, inclusive bicameral parliament, freedom of parliamentarians, and referendum for adopting amendments to the constitution.
NCP convener Nahid Islam led an eight-member delegate team in the dialogue chaired by NCC vice-chair Professor Ali Riaz.
鈥楪oals of the July uprising as well as citizens鈥� aspirations for a sustainable democracy will certainly be shuttered if state reforms serve only election-centric party interests,鈥� Nahid said in a post-dialogue press briefing.
Appraising the NCP leaders who led the July-August student-mass uprising, Professor Ali Riaz said, 鈥楾he current state reform process has been made possible due to the uprising. We can speak and sit together as a result of the uprising that ousted the fascist Awami League regime.鈥�
The NCP could partially discuss the issues related to constitutional and electoral reforms on the day.
Nahid further said that the NCP opposed all the fundamental principles of state policy inscribed in the 1972 constitution as well as others inserted by several amendments including the fifth one, terming them all party-biased.
He said that his party strongly supported the constitutional reform commission-proposed ceiling to the tenure of an individual president and prime minister to two terms.
The NCP recommended a cabinet-led government to check the mishandling of the prime minister鈥檚 absolute power.聽
Although the party supported the proposed bicameral parliament, it recommended proportionate representation in the upper house by casted votes instead of seats secured by an individual party.
鈥楻egarding constitutional amendment, we recommended that this shall be passed through a referendum following approval from both houses of the bicameral parliament,鈥� NCP member secretary Akhtar Hossian, who was also present in the dialogue, said.
He added that the NCP supported the proposed National Constitutional Council and the electoral college for electing the country鈥檚 president but recommended that grassroots-level people鈥檚 representatives be accommodated into the processes.
Earlier on Thursday, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party delegation opposed the constitution reform commission-proposed referendum option and the National Constitutional Council.
The delegation led by BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said that the BNP demanded to reinstate the fundamental principles that were inserted into the constitution through the fifth amendment.
BNP also opposed the particular option to implement reforms by elected members of a parliament which will first work as a constituent assembly and then as a regular legislature.
During Saturday鈥檚 dialogue, the NCP repeated its support for the option.
NCP chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari, also a member of the delegation, said, 鈥楾he country needs a new constitution to be passed by a constituent assembly. Otherwise, the reforms will not sustain.鈥�
Regarding the NCP鈥檚 registration with the Election Commission as a political party, he said that the NCP would meet the chief election commissioner on Sunday to discuss reforms in the EC and the part鈥檚 registration issue.
Beginning on March 20, the NCC held dialogues with 11 political parties till Saturday.
The BNP delegation is expected to sit with the NCC today to complete its discussion.
