NCC sends final July charter draft to pol parties
Staff Reporter :
The National Consensus Commission (NCC) has sent the final draft of the July Charter to all political parties, asking them to submit their feedback by 4pm next Wednesday.
The commission had earlier released a draft on July 28, which proposed that political parties complete all reforms within two years of forming the next government.
In the new draft, however, it recommends that reforms considered “immediately implementable” should be carried out by the interim government and relevant authorities without delay, ahead of the polls.
The final draft covers 84 points of consensus reached during two rounds of talks held between March 20 and July 31. It also records notes of dissent from some parties.
The charter pledges to fully implement its provisions, describing them as a reflection of the sacrifices and aspirations of the July-August 2024 movement. It calls the charter a framework for a new political settlement, built on national consensus.
The NCC urged political parties to adopt the charter’s provisions into the constitution. It further states that if there is any conflict between the charter and existing laws or the constitution, the charter will prevail.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court will have the final authority to interpret any provision, and all recommendations will be binding and beyond legal challenge.
The draft also calls for constitutional recognition of the people’s struggle for democracy, human rights, and rule of law, highlighting the historic importance of the 2024 uprising.
It urges parties to ensure justice for those killed during the July movement, state honours for the martyrs, support for their families, and rehabilitation of the injured.
Looking back at history, the draft recalls that although no constitution was in force between March 26, 1971, and November 4, 1972, all actions during that time were later recognized in the 1972 Constitution granting them legal and constitutional legitimacy and paying tribute to the Liberation War martyrs.
It also cites the December 6, 1990 uprising, when the chief justice briefly assumed the roles of vice president and president without a legal framework.
Those extraordinary steps were later legitimized through political consensus and endorsed by parliament, reinforcing constitutional convention and democratic practice.