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The National Citizen Party has said it will sign the July Charter only if the implementation order excludes any provision for a “note of dissent” and incorporates the recommendations of the Consensus Commission on constitutional reform.
NCP Convener Nahid Islam announced the party’s position while speaking at a press conference at the Rajshahi Parjantan Motel on Tuesday afternoon, reports bdnews24.com.
He said: “The July Charter implementation order will not contain anything called a ‘note of dissent’. The decisions of the Consensus Commission on constitutional reform must go to a referendum, and changes to the constitution must be made in accordance with the people’s verdict.
“Matters approved in the referendum must be implemented under the leadership of Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, based on the legitimacy of the July Uprising.”
Nahid said the NCP would sign the July Charter only if the government ensured these points.
Asked about the national election, he said: “The NCP will not ally with any political party that opposes reform or bears a burden of historical liability.
“Before the election, a roadmap for the trial of the July Uprising must be announced. There will be no caretaker government as before; instead, the next parilamentary polls will be held under Yunus’s leadership.”
On the dispute with the Election Commission over the party’s “Shapla” or water lily symbol, Nahid said: “The decision to deny us the Shapla symbol was unilateral. To reclaim it politically, we will build a street movement.”
He alleged that “fascist forces were conspiring around the election and that the NCP was being denied its symbol to obstruct its political activities.”
Earlier, NCP Chief Organiser (North) Sarjis Alam, said: “The BNP and Jamaat cannot play a strong role in politics opposing the dominance of the Awami League and India. They have also failed to lead efforts to stop extortion.”
“No single party will be able to form a stable parliament on its own. The NCP aims to take part in the general election as a strong political force,” he added.