July Charter Implementation Order contains ‘many ambiguities’: NCP

Member Secretary of the National Citizen Party (NCP) Akhtar Hossain has said the government’s newly issued order on implementing the July Charter contains “numerous ambiguities” that raise questions about whether the charter can be fully executed.

He made the remarks on Friday night at a press conference held at the party’s temporary office, where the NCP presented its formal response to Thursday’s implementation order.

Akhtar Hossain said the party had expected the government to remove the “crisis and uncertainties” surrounding the July Charter and clearly outline how it would be implemented.

“But even after issuing the order, several areas remain unclear, creating doubts about whether the July Charter can be fully implemented,” he said.

He pointed out that the referendum mentioned in the implementation order has been divided into several questions, which he said reduces the uniform importance of various reform issues.

“Some reforms have been made to appear less significant and left to the discretion of political parties,” he added.

Addressing other unresolved matters, he said the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC)—which the consensus commission recommended be made a constitutional body—remains undefined in the order.

“It has not been clarified whether the ACC will be included as a constitutional institution,” he noted.

Regarding the proposed formation of an upper house, he said the order states that the list of representatives for the upcoming upper house will not be published. “But does this mean that future lists must be published before elections? This obligation remains unaddressed.”

Akhtar Hossain alleged that the order allows for “partial implementation” of the July Charter, leaving several key reforms dependent on political parties. He emphasised the need for a clear timeline and consequences if agreed-upon reforms are not implemented.

The NCP also reiterated its demand that the results of the referendum be made binding, ensuring no political actor can deviate from them.

Calling on the government to immediately provide an authoritative clarification, he said, “If the implementation order is open to interpretation by those in power, it may create further complications. The government must clarify the order and remove all ambiguities. Steps must be taken to resolve the crisis surrounding the July Charter.”

Senior party leaders, including Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari, were present at the press conference.