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| April 22, 2002 | Monday | Safar 8, 1423 |
PPP says referendum highly controversial
ISLAMABAD, April 21: Pakistan People‘s Party has asked the government to clarify remarks made by President General Pervez Musharraf in an interview with Indus Valley on Saturday.
A spokesman of the party in a statement here on Sunday said that a leading paper quoted the general as claiming that the referendum was not a presidential election. He said that this position had been denied by the government earlier.
Under the Constitution of Pakistan, a referendum is a process which is used to ascertain public opinion on an important matter, whereas, election to the office of president is a separate matter, the spokesman said.
He said the proposed referendum to elect General Musharraf as president was highly controversial. It has been severely criticized by Pakistani and international media. The supreme court also is seized of its legality and will hear arguments at the end of the month, the spokesman added.
“The opposition has called for a boycott of the referendum. This is because there would be no electoral lists, independent observers, polling agents, and that there would be mobile polling stations which are impossible to monitor.
“The opposition believes that a successful boycott will prevent the regime from turning negative votes into positive ones.
“The opposition has called for General Musharraf to resign and hand over to the Chief Justice of Pakistan if the turnout was less than 50 per cent.
“Musharraf was also criticized for corrupt practices. His opponents have accused him of embezzling development funds to finance his campaign. Political campaigns are normally funded through private donations.
“A judge of the Election Commission resigned in protest at the unconstitutionality of the referendum process being substituted for a presidential election. Later, he resigned from the high court claiming that the regime had pressured him to rescind his statement and he was unable to lie and continue sitting on the bench.
“The charges, if confirmed, would fall under abuse of political power and would be a criminal offence under the Pakistan accountability laws.
“Gen Musharraf also appeared to have backtracked from his earli