The Hindu : Front Page : Polls should be held as scheduled: Nawaz Sharif

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 01, 2008
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Polls should be held as scheduled: Nawaz Sharif

Nirupama Subramanian

Election Commission to take final decision today

There is no provision in the Constitution to postpone polls: Pakistan People’s Party
It is up to the Election Commission to decide, says Cabinet

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Election Commission on Monday put off taking a decision on holding of the January 8 elections for one more day, but the two main Opposition parties, Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (N), appear in no mood to brook even a day’s postponement of the polls.

Shattered by the killing of its leader Benazir Bhutto but expectant of a sympathy wave at the polls, the PPP said there was no provision in the Constitution to postpone elections, and that they must be held within two months of the end of the previous Parliament’s term, November 15 in the present case.

Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Nawaz Sharif, who formally announced on Monday afternoon in Lahore his party’s decision to drop the election boycott and join the fray, said elections must be held on January 8.

“When even the PPP has decided to contest the elections, why is the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) talking about a postponement,” he asked, referring to the party that is President Pervez Musharraf’s political ally.

He said it was clear that the PML(Q) scented defeat, and Gen. (retd.) Musharraf was aware of this, and was apprehensive he would not get the “rubber-stamp Parliament that he wants.”

We will get majority, says Sharif

Mr. Sharif said the PML(N) would get a majority in the elections.

PPP senator Babar Awan, who was with Ms. Bhutto at her final election rally, said the party would not accept “even a day’s postponement,” and asked the Election Commission not to make “excuses” of burnt ballot papers and records to postpone the election. “Let them get it ready by January 8,” he said, and predicted a two-thirds majority for the PPP.

He also alleged that the talk of postponement of the election in government circles indicated that Gen. Musharraf was preparing to impose a “third martial law” and perform “a hat-trick” by abrogating the Constitution for a third time in his eight-year rule. Under the Constitution, a postponement is possible only if Emergency is declared.

“I appeal to the Chief Election Commissioner, who is a former judge of the Supreme Court, not to participate in this conspiracy to flout the Constitution,” he said at a press conference in Islamabad.

Cabinet meets

The caretaker Cabinet, which also met on Monday, said it was up to the Election Commission to take the decision on holding the elections.

The Election Commission, meanwhile, asked all its provincial heads to submit situation reports by Monday evening, and said it would take a final decision at a meeting on Tuesday morning.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page