Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus has announced that a referendum will be held on the same day as the national elections. In this referendum, a single question will encompass four major issues, and voters will express their opinion with a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ vote. If the majority vote ‘Yes’, a Constitutional Reform Council will be formed with the elected representatives, who will also serve simultaneously as members of parliament.
He shared this information during a speech to the nation on Thursday, November 13, at 2:30 PM.
The Chief Adviser explained the four issues covered in the referendum:
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During the election period, the caretaker government, Election Commission, and other constitutional institutions will be formed in accordance with the processes outlined in the July Charter.
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The next parliament will have two chambers. A 100-member upper chamber will be formed proportionally based on votes in the national election, and a majority approval in the upper chamber will be required for constitutional amendments.
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The 30 constitutional amendment proposals, including increasing women’s representation, electing a deputy speaker from the opposition, parliamentary committee heads, limiting the Prime Minister’s term, increasing presidential powers, expanding fundamental rights, judicial independence, and local government reforms, will be implemented by the winning parties in the next election.
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Other reforms outlined in the July Charter will be implemented based on the commitments of political parties.
The Chief Adviser said, “Voters will express their opinion on these four issues through a single question with a Yes or No vote. If the Yes votes are in the majority, the elected representatives will complete the constitutional reforms within 180 working days.”
In summary: The referendum will consist of one question covering four key issues, where voters will choose ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. A majority Yes vote will lead to the formation of a new parliamentary council tasked with constitutional reform.