No objection to announced election date if July charter-declaration is done: NCP

National Citizen Party (NCP) said that if effective steps are taken on the July Charter, the July Declaration, and the reform by April of the next year, then they would have no objection to holding the national election at the timeframe announced by the Chief Advisor.

NCP made the reaction an hour after Chief Advisor to the interim government Professor Muhammad Yunus said in a televised speech that the next national election will be held on any day in the first half of April next year.

Asked on the reaction to the Chief Advisor’s announced timeframe, NCP member secretary Akhtar Hossain told Prothom Alo on Friday evening, “We had expected a specific statement from the interim government regarding the national election timeline following a formal adoption of the July Charter and July Declaration. Yet, the Chief Advisor has mentioned that elections will be held by April next year. If effective steps are taken within this period to implement the July Charter, July proclamation, and the reforms, we have no objection to elections at the announced time.”

Formed by young leaders who led the July mass uprising, NCP has repeatedly called for both a national election and a Constituent Assembly election. The party has also demanded that local government elections before the national election. They have also pushed for a restructure to Election Commission (EC). Since the July uprising, the NCP has prioritised the trial of Awami League and fundamental reforms of the state as the main agenda of its politics.