Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has decided to get re-elected in uniform for yet another five-year term by the present national and four provincial assemblies in September-October 2007 before they will be dissolved to pave the way for general elections.
"We are left with no option but to fix a date for the presidential election between September 13 and October 12," one of the 'most trusted confidantes of the President' was quoted as saying by The News daily on Friday.
The aide, who was not named, has justified Musharraf's re-election by the same assemblies on the ground that his term will be completed on November 12, 2007 whereas the term of the National and Provincial Assemblies that elected him in 2002 ended on November 16, 2007. He did not explain how the term of assemblies that elected Musharraf ended before his.
'This is why we have to elect the President for the next five-year term before the expiry of the term of the assembly, as the presidential election has to be conducted in accordance with the Constitution,' said the aide.
While there could be moral and political objections, there is no provision in any law, statute or the Constitution, which bars the same assemblies to elect a President for a second term, he said.
I admit that Musharraf became the President in 2002 under extraordinary circumstances or by holding a democratic referendum and passage of a resolution, but the next presidential election will be held in accordance with the law, and the Constitution, the aide said.
'The presidential election has to be held before November 12 in view of the Constitutional provision,' he said, adding that a 'firm decision' was taken some time back that the present assemblies (the Senate, the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies) will form the electoral college.
'We have secured legal and constitutional opinion of all the concerned people and top constitutional experts and there is no ambiguity in this context,' he said.
The government has already completed the entire exercise with a careful analysis of the legal provisions and the existing political scenario. By going for re-election of the same elected assemblies, Musharraf would become the first President of Pakistan to get elected twice by the assemblies, he said.
Coinciding with the remarks of Musharraf's aide, Chief Minister of Punjab province Pervaiz Elahi, who headed the military-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Q government, said Musharraf will be elected as 'President in uniform again and again' as his Presidency has become a 'symbol of stability, prosperity and national dignity.'
Elahi, brother of PML-Q President Shujaat Hussain, said in a public meeting at Talagang on Thursday that sincere efforts made by the government under the leadership and development strategy of Musharraf have started yielding highly encouraging results, The Nation reported.
Almost all the opposition parties said they will quit the assemblies if Musharraf went ahead to get re-elected by the same assemblies. The government has already said it will hold by-elections if the opposition parties, which had 140 seats in the 342-member National Assembly, resigned.
The Islamist alliance Muthahida Majlis-e-Amal, which is bitterly divided over pro and anti-Musharraf parties, heads the government in North West Frontier Province and shares power with PML-Q in southwest Balochistan. The PML-Q heads the government in Punjab and shares power with Muthahida Quami Movement in Sindh.
Musharraf's aide also hinted that if MMA members in NWFP resign in protest then it would be dissolved and Musharraf will be elected by the remaining assemblies.
'It would not help the negative purpose of those who wanted to block the presidential election process. The remaining provincial assemblies' members, the national assembly members and the senators would then exercise their right to elect the president,' he said.
'The stage is set and there seem no snags in holding the election for the office of the president by September-October 2007,' he said.
When asked about the uniform, he said this point is also clear as there is no constitutional bar on Musharraf to contest for the office of the Head of State.
