LAHORE, Dec 12: Although most of the political parties are demanding “immediate elections” for the restoration of a democratic governance, not all of them are in a position to go to the electorate at a short notice.

Should the government announce immediate polls (though no such plan is under consideration), some parties will find it rather to field good candidates.

However, there are also parties which claim that they are ready for the polls any time as they are already carrying out a pre-election exercise.

None of the parties have so far formed any election alliance since all of them prefer to first see the rules of the game to be announced by the government.

The Pakistan Muslim League and the Pakistan People’s Party, whose leaders are in exile and unlikely to be allowed to contest, are adapting themselves to the ground realities and, notwithstanding their public pronouncements, will probably be willing to contest the elections without them.

There is little chance of President Gen Pervez Musharraf agreeing to the formation of an interim government of national consensus to hold elections. Reconstitution of the election commission, however, is on the cards.

Some press reports suggest that Justice Irshad Hasan Khan is likely to be appointed the new chief election commissioner after his retirement next month as chief justice of Pakistan.

PPP’s acting secretary-general Raza Rabbani said on Wednesday his party had ‘almost finalized’ its manifesto. It has also prepared profiles of national and provincial constituencies, which are being sent to the chairperson, Benazir Bhutto.

As for an alliance with some party, Mr Rabbani says, it is a premature question. He says the party is still evaluating its strength in various constituencies. The PPP, he says, will keep its doors open for electoral adjustments with other parties.

Other sources, who prefer not to be named, say that the PPP considers PML as its principal rival. But, in case the government tried to exclude it, the PPP would take the PML as its ally.

The PML, on the other hand, does not believe that the elections will be held on schedule. It has, therefore, made no preparations.

“It is premature to talk about election preparations. Gen Musharraf does not want to leave power. There is no question of elections being held immediately,” provincial secretary-general Khwaja Saad Rafiq says.

Explaining his disbelief, the PML leader said Gen Musharraf had made many commitments in the past which were not honoured. He argued that nobody could say with a degree of certainty that the general would honour his word on polls.

Mr Rafiq said the party’s central working committee would take up the matter at the right time and take the necessary decisions.

PML (Quaid-i-Azam) Punjab president Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said that he was reorganizing the party at the district level. Simultaneously, he said, an exercise was being carried out to select candidates for the national and provincial legislatures.

To be able to take better decisions, he said, the district Nazims belonging to the PML(QA) had also been included in the exercise. Electability, he said, would be one of the major considerations in the selection of candidates. A similar exercise, he said was going on in other provinces.

As for the manifesto of the party, he said a committee was working under the chairmanship of Syed Fakhr Imam.

In three to four months, he said, the party would be prepared to take part in the elections.

As for alliance with other parties, he said, his party would like to take along the like-minded parties.

The Pakistan Awami Tehrik has already prepared a draft manifesto which is being vetted these days.

Selection of candidates and a decision on an alliance with other parties would be taken at the appropriate time, a central leader, Chaudhry Muhammad Sharif, said.

The PAT has already reached an understanding with the PML(QA) and is willing to join hands with the Millat Party of Farooq Leghari.

Interestingly, the religious parties consider the PAT an “outcast”. Some of them say they would not enter an alliance including the PAT.

The Awami National party has issued instructions to all tiers to prepare for the elections.

According to senior vice-president Ehsan Wyne, brisk preparations are being made in the NWFP.

The manifesto, he said, had already been updated and the party continued to amend it.

Selection of candidates, he said, would be made by the central and provincial committees, to be set up for the purpose, at an appropriate time.

The ANP is ready to form an alliance with parties having a similar policy on Afghanistan, Mr Wyne said. He said the PPP was one such party.

The Pakistan Democratic Party of Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan is ever ready for elections since the party is confined to the Muzaffargarh constituency of the octogenarian party chief who does not have to work much to reach the electorate. The speeches he makes on various subjects throughout the year form the manifesto.

The Nawabzada can win his seat without seeking support from any other party. Still, he might agree to an election alliance with some of the parties he has been working with.

The Jamaat-i-Islami says it is ready to take part in the election no matter how short the notice.

According to provincial amir Hafiz Muhammad Idrees, the district organizations have already completed their homework with respect to the selection of candidates. The names can be finalized by the party’s central Shoora due to meet at Mansoora on Jan 7 and 8.

Mr Idrees said the party leadership had discussed the issue on Dec 11. More discussion would follow after the Eidul Fitr.

The party’s manifesto has already been updated. More changes, if necessary, would be made later.

As for alliance with other parties, Hafiz Idrees said the situation would crystallize after the all-party conference due to be held in the city on Dec 28.

So far, he said, the Jamaat had taken no decision in this regard.

Hafiz Idrees said the party wanted elections under the supervision of an interim government of national consensus and an autonomous election commission. Otherwise, he said, the Jamaat would have its reservations.