Set voting age at 16, for nat'l polls candidates 23: NCP

Highlights:

• NCP proposes reforms through ordinances before polls
• Questions exclusions of police, local reform commission reports in spreadsheet
• Recommends lowering the voting age from 18 to 16
• Recommends lowering minimum age for national election candidates to 23

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has proposed implementing reforms through two methods – first, ordinances before elections and second, a constituent assembly-elected legislature.

The party's Joint Convener Sarwar Tushar today said among its key recommendations regarding election-related reforms, the party strongly advocates lowering the voting age from 18 to 16.

"We do not want such a large stake of the mass uprising to be deprived of voting just because of age. This rule exists in various countries, including Latin America and Austria," he told a press conference at the NCP's temporary office in Dhaka's Banglamotor.

Additionally, the party is also interested in having the minimum age for national election candidates lowered to 23 from the existing 25, although recommendations in the spreadsheet called for 21 years.

Tushar stated, "We were sent a spreadsheet on 5 March and asked to submit it by 13 March. Due to our recent emergence, we could not meet the deadline despite our best intentions."

He said the party consulted experts in law, the judiciary, and parliament, as well as the families of martyrs and the injured, when formulating its proposals.

"Many have said that their children should not be shot by police if they protest on the streets. So, we have tried to translate such wishes into reforms," he added.

Regarding reform implementation, he said, "For most opinions, we have adhered to two methods. One is ordinances before elections, and the other is a constituent assembly or a legislature or parliament elected as a constituent assembly.

"Reforms that are not related to the constitution can be made through ordinances or administrative measures before elections. However, we have some questions in those cases."

He pointed out that the commission had stated that 111 out of 166 reform proposals could be implemented without discussion.

"However, we believe that some of those recommendations require greater discussion," he said.

The party continues to advocate for a new democratic constitution. "The best way to do that is through a constituent assembly election," Tushar stated.

"But we have also said that even if there is no constituent assembly, there should be a parliament elected as a constituent assembly legislature, meaning a legislature that will have the obligation to formulate the constitution," he added.

He announced that the party would submit its initial proposals to the National Consensus Commission at the National Parliament at 2pm tomorrow.

"Our question to the commission will be why the police and local reform commission reports were not sent in the spreadsheet," he said, adding that discussions with the party might take place after Eid.