Shamraz Khan

So, it sounds like if Mushrraf hangs around for while he wont have the power to dissolve the parliament.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories


PPP discusses reining in Musharraf's powers

Updated Sat. Feb. 23 2008 9:10 AM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Pakistan's main opposition party is considering reining in some of President Pervez Musharraf's powers, like the ability to dismiss parliament.

"The participants ... vowed to work for the restoration of the parliamentary supremacy by undoing undemocratic provisions under which elected parliaments have been dismissed," the Pakistan People's Party said in a statement on Saturday.

Under Article 58 (2b) of the Pakistani constitution, the head of state has the power to dissolve parliament.

The clause was first written into the constitution under the late President Zia ul-Haq, who took power in a military coup.

After his death in 1988, the clause was removed. But Musharraf, who first took power in a military coup in 1998, had it reinstalled.

A final decision on whether to push the measure will be made on Monday.

The PPP is also spending the weekend considering who to name as prime minister.

Makhdoom Amin Fahim, 68, a long-time loyalist of slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto and a veteran politician, is considered the front-runner.

Fahim is from Sindh province, which is the PPP's base, said Shafqat Mahmood, a prominent political commentator.

Fahim "is a consensus builder," Mahmood said. "He would be good in a coalition and in papering over differences."

Two other candidates are Shah Mehmood Qureshi from Punjab province and former National Assembly speaker Yousuf Raza Gilani, also from Punjab, which is the largest and richest of Pakistan's four provinces.

In Monday's parliamentary elections, the PPP won 87 of 268 contested seats, giving it the right to name the prime minister.

The Pakistan Muslim League-N party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif finished second with 67 seats, while the PML-Q that supports Musharraf only won 40 seats.

This means the new government, consisting of a coalition between the PML-N and the PPP, must share power with Musharraf.

The main opposition has a combined 154 seats, which is enough to govern but short of the required two-thirds majority to impeach Musharraf.

The parties have demanded that Musharraf step down -- something he has refused to do.

With files from The Associated Press

Captain1

Really? Darn, I thought it was 1999.

Ali_R

Mashallah good news for Pakistan and the nation

Faisal

I was about to chuckle at the possibility that Yusuf Reza Gilani (Sherry Rahman groping fame) becoming PM, when I read the last part of this article, and realized that the author is pretty much clueless about how a government is formed. Ofcourse, its not just PPP and PML-N. They will get ANP and assorted independents to move their number to comfortably over 50% and closer to 2/3rd.

GoldenAsif

^ The coalition already has the support of 211 MNAs. They need 228 for 2/3 majority which should be possible with a bit of political manoeuvring and expected defections from PML-Q

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...24/wpak124.xml
"A coalition of the anti-Musharraf parties - the PPP, PML(N) and ANP - would govern with 211 MPs, just short of the 228 needed for the two thirds majority that would allow them to launch impeachment proceedings against the president. They could, however, win support from other smaller parties and independent members, which would leave the former general in a precarious position."

pride

A good chance for MQM to join the bandwagon. Then total will be 211+19=230, here is 2/3rd majority.