Political parties present differing views on constitutional order, referendum

The National Consensus Commission’s discussions with political parties on implementing the July Charter have now narrowed down to two main approaches: special constitutional orders and a referendum. The focus has shifted to how to proceed, but disagreements remain on both issues. On Wednesday, Ali Riaz, vice-chairman of the commission, presented the expert panel’s recommendations. He said non-constitutional reform proposals would be implemented through ordinances or government orders, while constitutional amendments would require either a referendum or special constitutional orders. The expert panel’s suggestions were presented to political parties, proposing that the interim government could announce a constitutional order based on the 22-point July Proclamation. This order would address core constitutional reforms. The expert panel also proposed that the referendum could...