Pak EC accepts nomination papers of Prez candidates

Rezaul H Laskar

Islamabad, Aug 28 (PTI) Pakistan's Election Commission
Thursday accepted the nomination papers of ruling PPP chief
Asif Ali Zardari, P.M.L.-N. candidate Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui
and P.M.L.-Q. leader Mushahid Hussain Sayed for the
presidential polls, setting the stage for a triangular
contest.

On the day of scrutiny of nomination papers, the poll
panel received no objections against the candidates put up by
the three major parties for the September six polls.

Though reports had suggested that the P.M.L.-N and
P.M.L.-Q. might raise objections to Zardari's candidature, the
leaders of the two parties told Chief Election Commissioner
Qazi Muhammad Farooq that they had nothing against the
nomination of the P.P.P. co-chairman.

Though there were a few other candidates in the race, the
real contest will be between Zardari, Siddiqui, a former
Supreme Court Chief Justice who stepped down after refusing to
endorse former President Pervez Musharraf's military coup in
1999, and P.M.L.-Q. secretary general Sayed.

Emerging from the Election Commission, P.P.P. leader and
Information Minister Sherry Rehman said it was a very good
gesture that no party raised objections during the scrutiny
of nomination papers.

"We have comfortable numbers to win the presidential
election on September six, when Asif Ali Zardari will become
President of Pakistan," she told reporters.

"The P.P.P.'s central executive committee and the 160
million people of Pakistan have given him the mandate to
accept this important position in the name of (slain P.P.P.
chairperson) Benazir Bhutto, and he has accepted this
challenge," she said.


Rehman gave a guarded reply to a question regarding the
P.M.L.-N.'s return to the ruling coalition, saying the P.P.P.
has kept the ministries formerly held by PML-N leaders vacant
for a long time.

"The main focus is that second largest party should be
part of the government. We will continue to back the P.M.L.-N.
government in Punjab province," she said.

The P.M.L.-N. pulled out of the coalition this week,
accusing the P.P.P. of repeatedly reneging on promises to
reinstate dozens of judges who were deposed by Musharraf
during last year's emergency rule.

Musharraf resigned on August 18 to avoid impeachment by
the coalition, thus necessitating the holding of presidential
polls.

Senior P.M.L.-N. leader and former minister Saad Rafique
indicated in his remarks that there was little possibility of
his party returning to the coalition.

"There is no enmity with the P.P.P. and we have friendly
and brotherly ties with them... Even if we don't return to the
coalition, we can serve the country and democracy in a better
way by sitting in the opposition benches," he told reporters.

P.P.P. and allies had also filed two nomination papers
for Faryal Talpur, Zardari's sister, as covering candidate for
Zardari. She withdrew her papers after the authorities
accepted Zardari's papers.

Polling will be held on September six in the two houses
of parliament – the National Parliament and the Senate – and
the four provincial assemblies.

There are 1,170 members in the Senate, National Assembly
and provincial assemblies. The Senate has 100 members, the
National Assembly 342, Punjab assembly 371, Sindh Assembly
168, NWFP assembly 124 and Balochistan assembly 65.