MD ABBAS

The National Consensus Commission is considering recommending multiple pathways to the government for implementing the constitutional matters in the July Charter.

One package under discussion would outline three possible routes. The first is issuance of a Constitutional Order followed by a referendum on the order.

The second is to seek an advisory opinion from the Supreme Court under article 106 of the constitution. The article states that if the president deems a legal question important to the public, he or she may seek the Supreme Court’s opinion. The Appellate Division then may report its opinion to the president.

The third option is to hold a referendum and secure public endorsement of the constitutional matters of the July Charter through a yes-or-no vote.

Another package could involve the formation of a Constituent Assembly, or a Constitutional Reform Assembly.

These options were discussed at a virtual meeting between the commission and legal experts on Friday night, according to sources present at the meeting.

Contacted, Monir Haidar, special assistant to the chief adviser involved in building national consensus, said the legal experts emphasised the importance of verifying the will of the people in the process. “But there is no concrete decision yet,” he added.

A press statement from the commission yesterday confirmed that it decided to present multiple recommendations to the government on the July Charter’s implementation.

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