Pakistan Observer
23rd May 1969
Mujib pleads for new consembly
By A Staff Correspondent
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman President of the Pakistan Awami League (six point) in a statement issued to the Press in Dacca on Sunday made a plea for framing a new constitution for the country on the basis of the six point programme of his party and the 11-point programme of the students. He said that his party was firmly wedded to the concept of full regional autonomy, representation in the federal legislature on the basis of population and dismemberment of One Unit and restoration of the former provinces of West Pakistan.
In the statement which was handed over to the pressmen in the new Awami League office at Purana Paltan, the Awami League chief opposed the demand made by “some leaders” for revival of the 1956 Constitution, As for the reason for opposing the revival of the 1956 Constitution, the Awami League chief said that the 1956 Constitution “stands on the way of basic demands of the people of both the wings.
Following is the text of Sheikh Mujib’s statement:
“The people of Pakistan must exercise their sovereignty, through democratic institutions, in order to find acceptable and lasting solutions to all their problems, constitutional or otherwise. It is the people, and the people alone, acting through their elected representatives that can lead the country out of the present crisis by firmly indicating their choice of objectives and parties.
“Power must, therefore, be transferred where it belongs, that is to the people. The appropriate method to effect this transfer would be for the present authorities to make immediate arrangements to hold direct elections on the basis of universal adult franchise and representation on the basis of population. The object of these elections would be to bring into being a federal parliamentary structure, which would provide the country with representative legislatures and a civilian Government to which power should be transferred immediately. The Federal Legislature would function both as a legislative and a constituent assembly; and must in the latter capacity set itself a time limit of not more than six months within which to deliver the constitution.
“Elected representatives with a clear mandate from the people must resolve the basic constitutional issues which have remained unsettled and adopt a constitution reflecting the wishes of the people and securing the vital interests of the nation. Only a constitution embodying the popular will and representing a true national consensus could command sanctity as the fundamental Law of the land. It must be realised that there is no other way, nor any shortcut, to the solution of our problems.
“The Awami League reaffirms its commitment to the adoption of a constitution for the country on the basis of the six point programme of the party and the eleven point programme of the students. It is firmly wedded to the concept of full regional autonomy, representation in the Federal Legislature on the basis of population, and dismemberment of One Unit and the restoration of the former provinces of West Pakistan. Awami League will submit its programme, for which the people have made such great sacrifices, to the nation, for electoral ratification.
“Some leaders, in recent times, are talking about commissioning the 1956 Constitution for solution of the constitutional problems of the country. Awami League does not support the move because the 1956 Constitution stands in the way of the basic demands of the people of both the wings of the country profoundly demonstrated during the recent country-wide movement; namely, the demands for dismemberment of One Unit, representation on on the basis of population and autonomy enumerated in the six point programme of Awami League and eleven point programme of the students. As a matter of fact, the 1956 Constitution was not accepted by the majority of the representatives of East Pakistan at the time of its final passage, as it did not contain the quantum of autonomy as envisaged in the 21 points programme for which the electorate gave clear mandate, and with the lapse of a long time thereafter new fundamental issues now confronting the country cannot find an acceptable solution in that outdated Constitution of 1956, which does not even provide for easy amendment of the same.
“President Yahya Khan owes it to himself and to the country to redeem his promise of holding direct elections on the basis of universal adult franchise. We should urge him to lose no further time in making arrangements for the polls to be held.
No device other than that of enabling the elected representatives of the people to assume responsibility for tackling the multiplying problems of peasants, workers, students and overwhelming multitude of toiling masses of the country would succeed.”
সুত্র: সংবাদপত্রে বঙ্গবন্ধু: পঞ্চম খণ্ড ॥ ষাটের দশক ॥ চতুর্থ পর্ব ॥ ১৯৬৯