August 12, 2002	Monday	Jamadi-us-Saani 2, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 11: The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP) has decided to boycott the October polls and not to register the party with the Election Commission.

This was stated in apress release issued here on Sunday by the party spokesman Engineer Jameel Ahmad Malik.

He said the CPP would boycott the elections in the absence of a neutral EC and the government’s refusal to form an interim and neutral government before the polls. The CPP had demanded an interim and neutral government, sending troops back to the barracks, graduation conditions for the candidates be abolished, no amendments should be made in 1973 constitution, an independent EC and election commissioner be nominated in consultation with all the political parties.

The CPP said the Political Parties Order 2002 be repealed since registration of political parties was against the fundamental rights enshrined in the 1973 Constitution.

It also demanded the accountability of the judiciary and the serving generals. The CPP spokesman, who was also a National Assembly candidate from the Wah/Taxila said so far the government had not accepted the demands and therefore they had no alternative except to boycott the elections.

He also requested the other political parties to boycott the election and unite on one platform for the restoration of democracy and in the larger interest of the country.