Finally, the interim government has taken a clear step towards implementing the July National Charter. In his address to the nation, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus announced that the national parliamentary elections and the referendum will be held on the same day. This decision undoubtedly draws a clear line in the thick fog of political uncertainty. For many days, the reform process was at a standstill due to differences and delays among political parties. The government’s announcement deserves praise as a bold attempt to break that deadlock.

However, the four questions on which the referendum has been decided to seek a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote in the form of a single question are drawing criticism. It is clear that some of the proposals included in the July National Charter will have very fundamental and far-reaching constitutional implications, such as introducing a bicameral legislature, restructuring the caretaker system, limiting the prime minister's tenure, or increasing the powers of the president. Each of these issues has its own significance and impact. But to bind them all within one omnibus question does not go with the spirit of democratic consultation and informed consent.

We know the more complex the referendum question is, the harder it becomes for the electorate to grasp its full implications. Asking voters to approve or reject multiple reforms through a single vote indeed restricts them from expressing nuanced opinions. A citizen may agree with some proposals and disagree with others, but this format will force an all-or-nothing choice, which may risk producing a result that fails to capture the diversity of public sentiment.

To its credit, the chief advisor’s announcement has made the timeframe and process for implementing the reforms relatively clear: if the ‘yes’ vote wins in the referendum, the constitutional reform will be completed within 180 working days, which is realistic and achievable. Nonetheless, given that the referendum will decide on changes that touch the core of the Constitution, the referendum question paper must be clear, concise and comprehensible to all. Because the referendum is more a contract for the future of the nation than just a process, the government should reconsider the structure of the referendum to truly reflect the public opinion.