Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
The National Consensus Commission has requested for a revised policy requiring political parties to nominate women candidates in 5.0 per cent of general constituencies out of the total 300 seats, while keeping the existing 50 reserved seats for women in parliament.
The proposal was made at the commission's 22nd day's meeting with political parties held at the Foreign Service Academy in the city on Wednesday.
Political parties suggested increasing the number of women seats by 5 per cent in each general election and increasing women's representation to 100 seats by nominating women for direct elections in parliament, NCC vice president Prof Ali Riaz said.
Out of the 20 proposals of the commission, political parties have so far reached consensus on 14 issues.
BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters after the long discussion that Wednesday's discussion saw a little development in reaching consensus on the remaining issues, including women seats in the parliament.
BNP did not agree on only 51 proposals out of 826 total forwarded by the six reform commissions of the interim government.
Jamaat-e-Islami said it agreed with some other parties to increase to 100 through a proportional representation (PR) system.
The consensus commission kept continuing the discussions to finalise a national charter. It already sent the draft copy to the political parties and wanted to conclude these discussions within this month.
"If this charter proposal is not implementable, if it does not have a legal basis, then it will only be a symbolic document. We will not sign it," said Jamaat leader Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher.
NCP also expressed a similar stance calling a draft charter as incomplete.
nsrafsanju@gmail.com