BNP agrees to 10-year lifetime cap for PM, but opposes NCC in any form: Salahuddin

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) agreed to the proposal limiting an individual's tenure as prime minister to a maximum of 10 years in their lifetime, party Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed said today (25 June).

"We agree that the prime minister's tenure should be limited to a maximum of 10 years over a lifetime. However, if the executive's authority is curtailed through a committee like the NCC, we cannot support the [PM's] term limit either," he said after the sixth day's meeting of the second-round talks of the National Consensus Commission.

The BNP leader, however, opposed the Consensus Commission's proposal on establishing a new appointment committee for constitutional and statutory bodies.

He told reporters that he does not support "this idea of curtailing the powers of the executive branch."

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. A search committee can be formed, and provisions should be added to ensure transparency and accountability in these institutions. If there is no relevant law, one should be enacted; if a law already exists, it should be strengthened."

Salahuddin further said, "Democracy can only be strengthened if an independent Election Commission under a caretaker government holds free and fair elections, and if the judiciary ensures justice. Without addressing these fundamental issues, curtailing the executive branch's powers through such a committee is not the solution. This isn't about weakening the executive, but we cannot support this approach. That's why we couldn't agree." 

He added that there is no consensus on the commission's proposals regarding the principles of state governance or the constitutional articles introduced through the 5th Amendment, and therefore, these issues remain unresolved.

On the formation of the Election Commission, he said, "The existing law is incomplete, but it can be strengthened, and provisions for greater transparency can be added. If the search committee's recommendations are made in a transparent manner, there will be no objection."

During today's meeting, National Consensus Commission Vice Chairman Prof Ali Riaz said the commission has revised its proposal for National Constitutional Council (NCC) and made a new proposal to establish an "Appointment Committee for Constitutional and Statutory Bodies".

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." 

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.