Dhaka, Feb 14 (V7N) — Newly elected members of parliament will take oath on two matters — as members of the National Parliament and as members of the Constitutional Reform Council, said Ali Riaz, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser.

He made the remarks at a briefing held at the Foreign Service Academy on Saturday (February 14) afternoon.

Ali Riaz said the public mandate has come in favor of reforms, calling it recognition of the spirit of July and an expression of people’s desire to move away from what he described as 16 years of lawlessness. He added that sincere commitment from political parties could make implementation of the July Charter possible.

He emphasized that reforms should move forward through dialogue and unity, noting that the referendum saw slightly higher participation than the parliamentary vote because many voters participated only in the referendum. According to him, the victory of the “Yes” vote indicates that most citizens do not want a return to the previous system and expect parties to honor their promises.

Meanwhile, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said the oath-taking ceremony for the new MPs is likely to be held on February 16 or 17.

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