NCP open to general elections in April if July Charter, Proclamation delivered on time

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has conditionally endorsed Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus’s proposal to hold the next parliamentary election in April 2026, provided that the July Charter and Proclamation are finalised on schedule.

Responding to Yunus’s televised address on Friday, NCP Convenor Nahid Islam said the interim government must present both the National Charter and the July Proclamation by next month to justify an April election.

He also called for the restructuring of the Election Commission (EC) led by AMM Nasir Uddin to ensure a “level playing field” to start the voting process.

On Friday evening, Yunus addressed the nation and said: “After reviewing the ongoing reforms related to justice, governance, and elections, I hereby announce that the next general election will be held any day in the first half of April 2026.

“Based on this announcement, the Election Commission will present a detailed roadmap for the elections at an appropriate time.”

Yunus had previously said that the timing of the election would depend on the extent of reforms achieved.

According to him, if key reforms were completed, elections could be held as early as December. With more extensive reforms, the polls could take place by June next year. He also said that elections would not be pushed beyond June.

Nahid said, “The statement of the chief advisor has just come. I will be able to give a formal statement after some more time. One thing can be said immediately -– we wanted the outline of the reforms to be earlier.

“Since a possible month of the elections has been announced if the July Charter and the July Proclamation are issued at the promised time, then we’ll support the timeline.”

Elaborating on the NCP’s position, he said, “From the start, the NCP has said that justice, reform and elections are the three main duties of the government. The chief advisor has discussed not only the roadmap in his speech but also these three issues.

“Our state needs institutional reform including the electoral system and the issue of justice has also been given importance.”

Highlighting the latest meeting of the chief advisor with the political parties, the NCP convener said, “The date or month of the elections should be announced only after the July charter is announced. Even then, before the July charter, the possible month of the elections was mentioned as the first half of April.

“Since some political parties and a section of the people wanted to know the date of the elections or there was a fear being raised. This may have been said to reassure them.”

However, commenting on the urgent need for the July charter to reassure the mass uprising and the larger section of the people, he said, “What reforms are being made in the state and the July declaration, the constitutional recognition of our July martyrs, to preserve the history of July – which was said to be 30 working days, there are a few more working days, after Eid. We hope that it will happen within the stipulated time.”

Referring to the statement made by Yunus that the July Declaration would come by July, Nahid said, “If the July Declaration contains a consensus-based outline of reforms and after that, a level playing field can be created for the elections and we can move towards the elections.”

He highlighted the NCP’s previous position on the election date.

“(The Chief Advisor) said April. We have said before that if the reforms and justice process are confirmed in July and its roadmap is ready, then the elections can be held anytime between December and June. He said that it can also be held in April.”

Referring to the July Declaration and the July Charter, he said, “The charter is our main demand at the moment. The July Declaration and the July Charter, so that he (the chief advisor) keeps his promise. And since the month of the elections has been announced, we have talked about restructuring the Election Commission for that.

"If that is not possible with this election commission for a level playing field, then this is our call to the government to start those processes quickly."

Speaking about the latest meeting among Yunus and political parties, he said: “The date or month of the elections should be announced only after the July Charter is announced. Even then, before the July Charter, the possible month of the elections was announced...

“Since some political parties and a section of the people wanted to know the election timing... This may have been said to reassure them.”