President to administer oath to new cabinet by Wednesday: Cabinet secy

President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath to the members of the new cabinet in accordance with the Constitution, Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid said today (14 February).

The swearing-in ceremony is expected to be held by 18 February, he said while speaking to journalists at the Secretariat today.

Rashid said the elected MPs will first take oath within three days of the gazette notification, after which the majority party will elect its parliamentary leader.

The leader will then be appointed prime minister and form the cabinet.

In response to a question on whether the oath-taking would be held on 17 or 18 February, the cabinet secretary said no date had been fixed yet.

"As I said, if we are instructed or indicated that it will be held on a certain date and at a certain time, we will work accordingly. Even if it is tomorrow, we will have to prepare for tomorrow. If it is two days later, we will prepare for that. We will be able to say once we are informed; before that, there is no date," he said.

He added that the gazette notification for the elected members of parliament has already been issued. The names of those elected in 297 constituencies have been published. According to the law, they must take oath as MPs within three days.

"This three-day period may be considered from tomorrow, covering 15, 16 and 17 February, as working days begin tomorrow," he said.

"We hope the oath-taking will take place within the next three days, or at most four days. There is nothing more to add," the cabinet secretary added.