Jamaat and NCP to skip views exchange on charter changes

The opposition, having already refused to participate in the special parliamentary committee on constitutional amendment, has now declined to join the discussions as well. The committee had invited the political parties that signed the July Charter to talks this afternoon on amending the nation’s Constitution, but the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance declined the invitation, people involved with the proceedings said.

As part of the process for amending the Constitution in line with the July Charter, the government on April 29, the government proposed forming a 17-member special parliamentary committee, with 12 members from the ruling alliance and five seats reserved for the opposition.

As the Jamaat-led opposition failed to submit names, the government went ahead and constituted a 12-member body on July 13. The committee held its first meeting on August 4.

The opposition parties maintain that the constitutional provisions of the July Charter should not be dealt with through the proposed parliamentary amendment process. Rather, the reforms should be taken up by a Constitutional Reform Council.

“We are maintaining our earlier position -- we will not join the talks,” said Saiful Alam Khan Milon, Jamaat central executive committee member and Dhaka-12 MP.

Fundamental changes to the Constitution should be made through a Constitutional Reform Council, he said.

Jamaat and the 11-party alliance will present their position before the nation at a press conference at noon today, said Ahsanul Mahbub Zubair, the party’s assistant secretary general and chief of central publicity department.

The National Citizen Party and the 11-party alliance share the same position on the issue, said Akhter Hossen, NCP’s member secretary and Rangpur-4 MP.

From the onset, they have opposed the BNP’s proposal for constitutional amendments as it did not reflect the mandate expressed through the referendum, he said.

“People voted for constitutional reform through the referendum, not for an amendment. We cannot take part in a process where the people’s voice is disregarded,” he added.

The 11-party alliance would jointly announce its position at today’s press conference, said Maulana Jalaluddin Ahmed, secretary genera of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish.

Asked whether the alliance would take part in the discussions, he said: “I won’t say that now -- you can assume what our decision might be.”