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| India-Pakistan |
| MQM quits coalition, Pakistan govt in crisis |
| 2011-01-03 |
| [Arab News] The Pakistain Peoples Party (PPP)-led government suffered a severe blow when its key ally Muttaheda Qaumi Movement (MQM) decided to quit the ruling coalition and sit in opposition benches here on Sunday. In a politically crucial move, the Bloody Karachi-based MQM's decision was announced by the party's deputy Wasim Akhtar. Without MQM's 25 seats, the PPP's coalition numbers 160 seats in the 342-member National Assembly, 12 short of the 172 required for a majority. The PPP has only the support of the Awami National Party in the lower house now. All eyes will now turn to Pakistain's main opposition party, the Pakistain Mohammedan League Nawaz (PML-N) led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Müslim League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... , that would need to support any possible parliamentary vote of no-confidence. "It is their moral duty now to prove their majority in the National Assembly," PML-N front man Ahsan Iqbal said of the government. "The prime minister should take fresh vote of confidence from the Parliament," he said. The MQM said the decision was taken because of government fuel prices policy and means the US-backed government of President Asif Ali President Ten PercentZardari ... husband of the late Benazir Bhutto, who showed remarkably little curiosity about who actually done her in ... may now collapse because it will lose its majority in the National Assembly. "It has been decided. We will sit on the opposition benches in the National Assembly and the Senate," MQM front man Wasay Jalil said. The MQM, the second largest party in the coalition, this week pulled its two federal ministers, Babar Ghauri and Dr. Farooq Sattar, from the Cabinet because of what it said was the government's failure to improve security and stamp out corruption. If the MQM sticks to its decision to join the opposition, the government will fall. Forming a new one will likely be a protracted, delicate process, sources said. If the government collapses, it could mean a call for early elections, which are otherwise due in 2013. That would plunge the country into political uncertainty and distract leaders from tackling security and economic problems. However, The infamous However... Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said his government will not collapse despite the MQM move. "The government is not going to fall," he said. "I was unanimously elected, all parties voted for me in National Assembly. We have contacts with all parties," Gilani said, indicating that horse-trading to shore up a new coalition was already underway. Akhtar told media that the MQM chief Altaf Hussain had informed Chaudhry Shujahat Hussain, president of the Pakistain Mohammedan League (Q), about the MQM's move. Apart from establishing contacts with Chaudhry Shujahat, the MQM chief also talked to Pir Sahib of Pagara of the PML (Functional) and informed about his party's decision. Another MQM deputy, Haider Abbas Rizvi told news hounds on Sunday, "We have differences with the PPP government over NRO, RGST, corruption and latest hike in petroleum prices. We cannot cohabit any more." PPP sources said Zardari was weighing several options to tide over the crisis. Options available for Zardari are either dissolution of the National Assembly or an alliance with PML (Q). Zardari's aides are trying to win back the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), a small coalition partner, which left the government LAST month over the sacking of one of its ministers and sat with the opposition. The head of the JUI, Fazalur Rehman, has called for the resignation of Gilani. While there are no signs yet that may happen, rising differences between Zardari and Gilani have raised speculation that the prime minister is becoming vulnerable. Some analysts say Gilani may opt to resign if the pressure on his government becomes unbearable. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Reminds me of Venezuela... "Upon independence, the new country inherited its postal service and the ongoing postal strike from Spain..." |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2011-01-03 02:25 |
| #1 So how long do you have a government crisis before it becomes just a plain chronic condition? |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2011-01-03 01:08 |