Pakistan to hold presidential election on September 6, Zardari likely candidate, Sharif threatens to quit coalition

Pakistan to hold presidential election on Sept. 6

www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-22 14:55:59

·Pakistan announced the presidential election will be held on Sept. 6. ·The nomination paper will be received from Aug. 26. ·The polling will take place at provincial and national assemblies simultaneously.

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) --

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday announced that the presidential election will be held on Sept. 6.

The ECP Secretary Kanwar Dilshad said the nomination paper will be received from Aug. 26.

The polling will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time at provincial and national assemblies simultaneously, Dawn TV channel quoted Dilshad as saying.

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation on Monday. And the presidential election, under the constitution, has to be held within 30 days of Musharraf's resignation.

The electoral college for the presidential election includes the four provincial assemblies, the National Assembly and the Senate.

Pakistan's ruling parties have not yet reached a consensus on presidential candidacy, but reports said Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari is poised to be the presidential candidate.

Pakistan provincial assembly backs Zardari for presidency

www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-22 16:03:27

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) --

The provincial assembly of southern Pakistan's Sindh on Friday passed a resolution, recommending Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari for the presidency, local DAWN TV channel said.

Sindh is the home province of Zardari, widower of assassinated former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, is now leading the country’s largest party.

Former Pakistani President Musharraf announced his resignation "for the interests of Pakistan" on Monday. But the PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have remained divided on the presidential candidacy.

The PML-N, led by former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, wants the next president coming from a smaller province, like Balochistan or North West Frontier Province.

Altaf Hussain, leader of the opposition party Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), on Wednesday also proposed Zardari for the presidential candidate.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday announced that the presidential election will be held on Sept. 6.

Editor: Bi Mingxin

Pakistan's former PM threatens to quit coalition

www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-21 18:37:30

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) --

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has threatened to pull his party out of Pakistan's ruling coalition if it does not decide by Friday to reinstate judges deposed last November by former president Pervez Musharraf, according to local press reports Thursday.

The private Geo TV reported that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader told a U.S. newspaper that his party would quit the ruling alliance if judges were not restored. However, he said that PML-N would not pose any threat to the government while sitting on opposition benches.

"It will be a bad day for the democracy and country if judges are not reinstated," Sharif said.

In March, Sharif and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-Chairman As if Ali Zardari agreed to reinstate some 60 judges deposed on Nov.3, 2007 by Musharraf within 30 days after the coalition was formed. After the deadline passed, the PML-N ministers in the coalition submitted resignation and stayed out of the cabinet till now.

Soon after Musharraf announced his resignation on Aug. 18, Sharif asked Zardari to immediately restore the deposed judges as the main hurdle in the way of their restoration no more existed. However, after a four-hour talk, the two and other coalition partners had not got a conclusion on it.

A meeting of the coalition partners is scheduled Friday to discuss critical issues including deposed judges and new presidential candidates.

The PML (N) rank have claimed that they would not tolerate any further delay in the judges restoration and they would not hesitate to quit the coalition if all the judges were not restored.

Meanwhile, lawyers planned to observe a complete boycott of courts and stage protest demonstrations and hunger strikes across the country Thursday for the restoration of deposed judges.

"Ruling coalition has failed to fulfill its promises made to people for restoration of judges deposed by former president," leaders organizing the boycott said.

They vowed to continue the struggle and bring the masses onto the roads against the rulers.

They said that there was no hurdle in reinstatement of deposed judges after Musharraf's resignation as president.

Editor: An

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