Draft of July Reform Charter to be delivered to political parties today

Despite ongoing disagreements among major political parties on crucial issues such as the structure of the upper house election system and the powers vested in the Prime Minister, the National Consensus Commission is set to hand over the draft of the July Charter of Reforms to all parties today (Monday, July 28).

The announcement was made by Professor Ali Riaz, Vice-Chairman of the Commission, on the 19th day of the national dialogue held at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Sunday.

The dialogue, which began at 10:30 in the morning and continued late into the night across three separate sessions, marks a significant step toward political consensus. Professor Riaz confirmed that the draft charter has been prepared and will be shared with all participating parties for their feedback. Once reviewed, parties will provide their opinions, which could shape the final version of the reform document expected to be finalized by the end of the month.

While full agreement remains elusive, notable progress has been made. There is now consensus on ten reform proposals, including the formation of an independent police commission. Conditional agreement was also reached on limiting the tenure of the Prime Minister to ten years. However, the BNP and its allies have made it clear that their support for this provision depends on whether the Prime Minister’s powers are meaningfully curtailed.

Other areas, such as the election system for the upper house and the basic principles of state governance, remain unresolved. The parties also failed to reach a consensus on proposals related to women's political representation. The BNP suggested a phased requirement for political parties to nominate women in at least five percent of seats in the next election, increasing to ten percent in subsequent polls. Although discussed extensively during the third session, no decision was made.

Professor Riaz noted that if any party raises fundamental objections to the draft, those concerns will be addressed through further dialogue. As it stands, seven issues remain unfinished, and three others have not yet been discussed.