Signed July Charter conditionally, 2 oaths Tuesday: Nahid Islam

On the last working day of the interim government, the National Citizen Party (NCP) signed the July National Charter this Sunday evening. However, they signed it conditionally. While signing, they wrote a note on the charter stating, “Subject to full implementation of the referendum verdict without any note of dissent.”

Mentioning the matter, NCP Convener Nahid Islam said that tomorrow, Tuesday, the winners of the 13th parliamentary election will take two oaths—one as Members of Parliament and another as members of the Constitutional Reform Council.

This Monday evening, NCP Convener Nahid Islam and Member Secretary Akhter Hossen went to Jamuna, the residence of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, and signed the July Charter.

Nahid, Akhter and six leaders of the party stayed at Jamuna from 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm. After signing the charter, the two top NCP leaders spoke to journalists.

Nahid Islam said, “NCP contested the parliamentary election and is going to parliament to implement the July National Charter and the aspiration for reforms. This is our mandate. The people have given us this mandate. We think that before tomorrow’s oath and at the final stage of this interim government, to complete this document and in the interest of implementing the July National Charter, it was necessary for us to sign. That is why we signed. In the signature we noted that we have signed subject to full implementation of the referendum verdict without any note of dissent. With our signature, the July National Charter has been completed. From tomorrow our work is to implement the reforms in the Constitutional Reform Council according to the July Charter and the referendum order.”

Regarding the oath of elected representatives in the parliamentary election, Nahid said, “It has not yet been officially announced. But from informal talks with the law adviser and the secretary of the parliament secretariat, we learned that two oaths will be held tomorrow. That is what should happen.

Because the referendum order clearly states that elected representatives will be members of both the Parliament and the Reform Council at the same time. Therefore, tomorrow there will be two oaths together. First, those who have won will take oath as Members of Parliament, and the same persons will also take oath as members of the Reform Council. Two oaths will be taken consecutively. That is what we know. It is also written in the referendum order.”

Commenting that there is no room for doubt about who will administer the oath, Nahid Islam said Clause 8 of the referendum order clearly states that the person who administers the oath to MPs will administer the oath to them as members of the Constitutional Reform Council as well. It is being heard that the Chief Election Commissioner will administer the MPs’ oath. Therefore, the CEC will also administer the oath to them as members of the Reform Council.

At that time, Nahid Islam thanked the interim government. He said, “After the mass uprising, despite many criticisms and limitations, by taking responsibility and through reforms, justice and an election, we may see a peaceful transfer of power tomorrow. For that we thank Professor Muhammad Yunus and this interim government.”

Later, replying to a journalist’s question, the NCP convener said they signed so that there is no hesitation in implementing the July Charter and so that there is no discussion as to why NCP did not sign. Altogether, they signed in the interest of implementing the charter. But the signature is actually a formality, because NCP had already campaigned in favour of ‘Yes’ in the July Charter.

Nahid Islam also said he sees no further uncertainty regarding implementation of the July Charter. He said the whole issue of the “note of dissent” has been settled through the referendum question. The referendum verdict must be implemented.

The other four NCP leaders who went to Jamuna with Nahid Islam and Akhtar Hossen to sign the July Charter were Monira Sharmin, Sarwar Tushar, Jabed Rasin and Zahirul Islam Musa.

Meanwhile, a press release sent by NCP said that National Consensus Commission Vice Chairman Professor Ali Riaz, member Badiul Alam Majumdar and Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Monir Haidar were present during the signing of the July Charter.

The release also mentioned that the Chief Adviser thanked NCP for signing the July Charter.