A battle over who gets to lead parliamentary oversight bodies brought the treasury and opposition benches into a fresh confrontation in the House Sunday.
The ruling party set a precondition for allowing the opposition to chair parliamentary standing committees: opposition lawmakers must first agree to participate in the special parliamentary committee on constitutional amendment.
But opposition lawmakers stood their ground, maintaining their demand for a proportionate share of standing committee chairmanships and refusing to link the issue with their participation in the special constitutional amendment committee.
They also said that they will not join the special committee to amend the constitution.
Both sides presented their arguments in the Jatiya Sangsad. Amid the standoff, Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal urged them to work together in the national interest. He suggested that, if necessary, the top leaders of both sides could hold “closed-door” discussions to resolve the matter.
According to the Rules of Procedure, all parliamentary standing committees must be formed within the third session of a parliament. There are 50 standing committees in total, including 39 related to different ministries. So far, only 15 standing committees have been formed in the 13th Parliament, including nine ministry-related ones.
On July 13, parliament formed a 12-member special committee on constitutional amendment, chaired by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed. The opposition was asked to nominate five members but they rejected the committee outright.
Opposition lawmakers said they would support constitutional reform only in line with the July Charter and argued that they have fundamental differences over how a parliamentary committee on constitutional amendment should be constituted.
Under the current system, there is no legal obligation to give the opposition chairmanship of parliamentary committees. However, the July Charter proposed that opposition members chair the Public Accounts, Privileges, Estimates, and Public Undertakings Committees.
It also proposed that the chairmanship of ministry-related standing committees be distributed among opposition members in proportion to their representation in Parliament.
In line with the day’s proceedings, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni stood for construction and reconstruction of the standing committee.
The chief whip, referring to a telephone conversation with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition Syed Abdullah Mohammed Taher, said they had earlier requested them [the opposition] to submit names for the special constitutional amendment committee, but they did not.
“Today they have said they will join the constitutional amendment committee. For that reason, I do not want to place proposals today,” he added.
He urged the speaker to give the floor to Taher.
“I spoke with the chief whip. He did not say that joining the constitutional amendment committee is linked to chairmanship. One issue cannot be related to another,” said Taher.
Taher refused that he had said they would propose their names for the special parliamentary committee on constitution amendment.
He added that there was consensus that members and other matters of parliamentary committees would be distributed in proportion to their seats at Jatiya Sangsad.
He said opposition gets 26 percent of members and chairmen of the standing committee.
But they only got one chairman position of the standing committees, Taher said.
“None of the ministry-related committees have opposition chairmen,” he added.
“We came here through an anti-discrimination movement. We do not want discrimination to be established in parliament as well. Some MPs should not enjoy more rights while others are deprived. Parliament should not set such an example,” he said.
In reply, Chief Whip Nurul Islam said, “In the past 54-55 years since independence, opposition MPs have never been made chairmen of committees. Ziaur Rahman once made [an opposition member] the Public Accounts Committee chairman. Already one committee has been given to the opposition.
“We want to solve all problems collectively. We also wanted to amend the constitution collectively. There is no precedent of giving chairmanship to the opposition, so we will not give it. We have already given one committee, but cannot give more.
“If the opposition participates in the constitutional amendment process, they will get chairmanships as they want.”
Taher again took the floor and said the principal decision of the opposition is that they will not participate in the government’s constitutional amendment committee.
“We believe forcing us to join a committee by imposing conditions is not right. We also believe we are entitled to 26 percent of chairmanships,” he said.
Then Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed took the floor and said the ruling party offered deputy speaker post to the opposition in line with the July Charter.
But the opposition refused the offer.
The opposition has made a principled decision not to join the constitutional amendment committee, and today they repeated it.
After discussions with all stakeholders, a comprehensive constitutional amendment bill will be brought. Once passed, the July Charter will be implemented.
“According to the consensus commission discussions, opposition MPs will get chairmanship of ministry-related committees proportionate to their seats. But for that, the July Charter must be implemented and the constitution amended,” Salahuddin said.
“Our generosity is that the Chief Whip proposed: come, join the special committee on constitutional amendment, start the process. We will simultaneously begin implementing the July Charter. Then you will get chairmanships accordingly. This is a very valid argument.”
“Join the constitutional amendment committee. Whatever your statements are, we will record them. Your reports and opinions will be included. The nation will know your views. You will dissent, you will differ, and on some proposals you will agree.
“But if you demand everything based on the July Charter, yet refuse to cooperate in implementing it, that becomes contradictory,” Salahuddin said.
