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| India-Pakistan |
| Pak oppo parties threaten to resign |
| 2007-09-16 |
| An alliance of Pakistani opposition parties said Sunday that all its members in the national and provincial assemblies will resign if President Gen. Pervez Musharraf submits his nomination papers for a presidential election. "We will impede Musharraf's reelection. He is not eligible to become president," Raja Zafar ul-haq, acting chairman of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), said after a meeting of All Parties Democratic Movement including almost all opposition parties except the Pakistan Peoples Party of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The move comes after the Election Commission announced amendments to the election rules earlier in the day, under which Musharraf is exempted from a constitutional clause disqualifying government servants to contest a presidential election. Kazi Hussain Ahmad, president of Mutteheda Majlis-e-Amal, told reporters that its members in the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies in Northwest Frontier Province and Baluchistan Province will resign to preempt Musharraf's reelection bid. If they resign, the electoral college comprising all members of parliament and four provincial assemblies would be incomplete. According to the Constitution, the president is elected by members of parliament -- the National Assembly and Senate -- and four provincial assemblies. Election Commission sources, meanwhile, said Sunday the commission will soon announce the schedule for the presidential election. The sources said Musharraf's term is to expire Nov. 15 and the Constitution requires a new president to be elected at least one month before the term of his office expires. The whole process of the election takes 25 days and therefore it is necessary to announce the election schedule within next two to three days, the sources said. |
| Posted by:Seafarious |