Consensus Commission revises NCC, excludes president, CJ from appointment committee: Ali Riaz
The new proposed committee will consist of seven members, with the speaker of the Lower House serving as its chair, he says
The National Consensus Commission the commission has revised its proposal for National Constitutional Council (NCC) by prioritising the views of political parties, Vice Chairman Prof Ali Riaz said today (25 June).
The commission made a new proposal to establish an "Appointment Committee for Constitutional and Statutory Bodies", Ali Riaz said at the sixth day's meeting of the second-round talks of the National Consensus Commission in the capital.
He mentioned that the previous recommendation to include the president and the chief justice in the NCC has been dropped. "Instead, the new committee will include the speakers of both the Upper and Lower Houses."
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Ali Riaz further said the committee's mandate will be limited to overseeing the appointment process of constitutional and statutory bodies, excluding appointments such as the attorney general and the chiefs of the armed forces.
After the meeting, Ali Riaz told reporters that the new proposal has been welcomed by most parties, though some have raised objections.
"Those in support have also offered suggestions. The full proposal is expected to be presented next week," he added.
He said while some parties have expressed views on upholding the basic principles of governance in the current constitution, no consensus has been reached.
"However, the majority have voiced support for values such as equality, human dignity, social justice, democracy, religious freedom, and communal harmony."
He said the new committee will consist of seven members, with the speaker of the Lower House serving as its chair.
The proposed members of the committee are: the prime minister, the speaker of the Lower House (as chair), the speaker of the Upper House, the leader of the opposition, a representative from opposition parties other than the main opposition, a representative of the president (as defined by law), and a judge from the Appellate Division nominated by the chief justice.
Ali Riaz further mentioned that the issue of the prime minister's term was raised again, but no consensus or conclusion has been reached, pending a final decision on the appointment committee.
The decision of forming a new committee instead of the National Constitutional Council comes after the political parties failed to reach a consensus on the council.
Earlier, the BNP said it does not agree to the formation of the proposed NCC due to "lack of accountability".
"The functions and responsibilities being proposed for the NCC are typically handled by the executive branch, or defined by law and constitutional provisions. It is unacceptable for a democratic party like the BNP to support the creation of a powerful body with no accountability," BNP's Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said after attending meeting with the Conssensus Commission on 18 June.
