September 20, 2002	Friday	Rajab 12, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 19: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz group) are new allies against the military rule but are unwilling to share each other’s votes, shattering their own hopes for a significant seat adjustment for the Oct 10 elections.

But the two mainstream parties and one-time arch-rivals to each other seem happy to have succeeded in overcoming mutual bitterness of the past that contributed to the fall of four governments they alternately formed between 1988 and 1999.

The two parties said on Thursday they were no longer pursuing seat adjustment — to back a single nominee of either party from selected constituencies of the national assembly and the four provincial assemblies to defeat pro-government candidates.

“Whatever (adjustment) was possible has been done and no more is being done,” a PPP spokesman said.

A PML (N) spokesman said his party felt the PPP “probably preferred not to have considerable seat adjustment,” which was touted as a weapon to counter alleged poll-rigging plans that the government vehemently denies.

But very little seat adjustments have been made by the two parties, though the PPP has done a lot of seat-sharing with the Awami National Party in the NWFP and the PML (N) was doing the same with Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.

The PPP and PML (N), each of which tried for the collapse of the other’s government for more than a decade, became allies in the 15-party ARD in what appeared to be a move to end bitterness created by 11 years of Gen Zia’s rule.

With their recent conciliatory moves, the two parties moved a long way from an era when PPP leader Benazir Bhutto branded PML (N) “remnants of Zia” and PML leader Nawaz Sharif, in turn, questioned the patriotism of the Bhutto family and once said “my blood boils when I hear the name of People’s Party”.

Though the ARD, formed to oppose President Pervez Musharraf’s perceived plans to prolong military rule, could not turn into an electoral alliance, its components — mainly the PPP and PML (N) — promised seat adjustments to defeat rivals from the pro-Musharraf PML (QA) and its allies.

“There has been (seat adjustment) wherever it was possible,” PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar told Dawn.

But he acknowledged “what had been hoped for has not happened” and ruled out any more adjustments because of what he called unwillingness of workers and candidates of both parties for more electoral accommodation.

But PML (N) spokesman Mohammad Siddique-ul-Farooque indicated his party would have wanted more seat adjustments, which can now be done only by retirement of candidates after the Election Commission’s deadline for withdrawal of candidatures passed on Saturday.