Staff Reporter:
National Citizen Party (NCP) on Wednesday clarified the difference between the ‘July Charter’ and ‘Ju-ly Proclamation’ to remove confusion saying that the two documents are distinct things.
“The ‘July Proclamation’ and the ‘July Charter’ are two separate documents. But many people are con-fusing these two documents, which is questioning the NCP’s position,” NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain told reporters during a tea break in the 22nd session of the second-round dialogue between the National Consensus Commission (NCC) and the political parties.
He explained that the ‘July Declaration’ is a historic acknowledgment of the August 2024 mass uprising and the victory on August 5, 2024, which needs legal recognition.
“This is a historic document,” he said, adding, “On the other hand, the July Charter is a practical roadmap based on the political reform proposals being discussed within the Commission.”
Akhtar said NCP does not want an ineffective, incomplete ‘July Charter’ that ends up as another sym-bolic document like the previous three-party agreement of early 1990s.
“We want a Charter that is effective, legally grounded, reflected by basic reform aspirations and capable of being implemented immediately,” he added.
He said the NCP firmly rejected the two-year implementation timeline mentioned in the NCC’s initial draft of the ‘July Charter’. “Such a delayed implementation proposal allows room for betrayal and un-dermines public expectations,” said the NCP leader.
Regarding the ‘July Declaration’, Akhtar Hossain said, “We are not willing to compromise even slightly. If the government fails to issue the Declaration by July 36, NCP will issue it independently in alliance with all anti-fascist forces.”
Noting that the government has shared a draft of the ‘July Proclamation’, he said NCP has submitted a more mature version.
