The National Citizen Party (NCP) has agreed to the National Consensus Commission's proposal that requires approval of the cabinet for declaring a state of emergency.
The party, however, has asked the commission to enact a law to prevent the state of emergency from being used for political gains.
NCP central member Javed Rasim raised the issue at a recent media briefing after a meeting with political parties at Dhaka’s Foreign Service Academy.
He said, “We had asked for a three-fold division of the state of emergency: war, natural disaster or epidemic, and internal unrest.
“If a situation arises involving the country’s independence, sovereignty, or geographical integrity, the government may declare a state of emergency.
“The president could previously make the declaration with the prime minister's signature. “However, the authority has now been shifted to the Cabinet Division, and the scope has been slightly expanded. We in the NCP have agreed to this.” Rasim said, “Since emergencies require prompt decisions, the power should remain with the executive. The opposition leader can attend the meeting and share their views.
“If the opposition party leader speaks against the declaration, it will have an impact. “All parties agreed the emergency should not be used for political purposes.”
Regarding the chief justice’s appointment process, Rasim said the commission had proposed that the president appoint the senior-most judge of the Appellate Division as the chief justice.
However, in the meeting, there was a difference of opinion on whether it should be the one between the two most senior judges.
Rasim added that the commission later decided to appoint the most senior judge as chief justice, but any ruling party could amend the constitution to allow choosing between the two senior-most judges.
“We strongly oppose the politicisation done by bringing the caretaker government into this judiciary. We do not want to see the judiciary in this role,” he said.
The commission’s Vice-Chairman, Ali Riaz, said: "A National Charter must be formed through consensus on key issues. Our goal is to finalise it by Jul 30, or Jul 31 at the latest.
“We're committed to reaching a reasonable outcome by then as part of our duty to the martyrs of the July-August movement.”
PT/ra
