|
[Home
|
National
|
World
|
Perspectives
|
Columns
|
Money
|
Entertainment
|
Health
|
Technology
|
Letters
|
Subscribe] FinalCall.com News - Refer This Page World News
ISLAMABAD (IPS/GIN) - The leaders of Pakistan’s two main political parties that emerged victorious in the Feb. 18 general elections, are accusing President Pervez Musharraf of trying to subvert the formation of a coalition government. While the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) led by Asif Zardari, widower of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif have demanded that Mr. Musharraf step down in accordance with the spirit of the election mandate, the president seems determined to hold his ground. The rivals-turned-partners are being backed by the Awami National Party (ANP) led by Asfandyar Wali. The PPP emerged as the leading party with 89 seats, while the PML-N bagged 67 and the nationalist ANP claimed 10. At a meeting on Feb. 27, the three parties demanded that the president convene the inaugural session of Parliament without further delay, but the demand only resulted in what is seen as vigorous conspiratorial activity at Mr. Musharraf’s camp office in the city of Rawalpindi. According to Zafar Abbas, the well-informed editor of the influential Dawn, newspaper the “king’s party,” the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), and Mr. Musharraf’s trusted aides are busy discussing various options to counter a post-election onslaught by the victors. “For some of them, especially the PML-Q, it is simply a matter of political survival. And the president’s own position is no different since he knows full well that the majority parties are quite clearly after his blood,” Mr. Abbas told IPS. An immediate goal for the victors is restoration of the original 1973 constitution and the reinstatement of the judges of the higher judiciary, sacked by President Musharraf for refusing to endorse the provisional constitution order he declared on Nov. 3. The president of the PML-N, Shehbaz Sharif, told IPS: “The message given to the presidency was clear ... the majority parties stand united on the issue of stripping Musharraf of his so-called discretionary powers to dismiss an elected government and sack the prime minister at his sweet will.” Mr. Sharif also indicated that the three parties could move to impeach the president—who got himself elected to the office while still army chief—since they have the required strength in parliament. Before the Feb. 27 meeting, there were rumors that Mr. Zardari was under pressure from the presidential camp to form a coalition government with the PML-Q both at the center and in the important Punjab province. Such an arrangement could forestall any move to have the judges reinstated or impeach the president. However, Mr. Zardari made it clear at the joint meeting that the PPP would not buckle under pressure and that his party stood committed to the cause of building true democracy in the country. Following the failure to bring around Mr. Zardari and the PPP, Mr. Musharraf has shown reluctance to convene the inaugural session of the National Assembly despite repeated calls from the winning parties. His marathon sessions with the leaders of the PML-Q have led to suspicion that conspiracies were being hatched to delay or prevent government formation. Zafar Iqbal Jhagra, central secretary (information) of the PML-N, told IPS: “President Musharraf has made the Army House a hub of conspiracies against the winning parties by holding frequent meetings with PML-Q leaders, which is an insult to the people’s mandate. The presidential camp has already resorted to underhand tactics to forestall the formation of an anti-Musharraf coalition at the center.” Jahangir Badr, secretary-general of the PPP, told IPS that he was confident that such tactics were bound to fail as the three coalition partners had already forged an understanding on how to run the central and state governments. “It has already been decided between Zardari and Nawaz Sharif that the PML-N parliamentarians will support the PPP at the center while the PML-N legislators will support the PPP in Punjab, the biggest province, to form governments. And there aren’t any second thoughts,” Mr. Badr said. On March 3 presidential spokesman Maj. Gen. (retd) Rashid Qureshi denied, in a statement, that Mr. Musharraf was conspiring against the political parties, but he added in the same breath that the president was not planning to resign or reinstate the judges. “The general elections were meant to elect the new national and provincial assemblies and they had nothing to do with the future of President Musharraf who was duly elected for a period of five years,” said Mr. Qureshi in his statement.
|