October 11, 2002	Friday	Sha'aban 4, 1423

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RAWALPINDI, Oct 10: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said here on Thursday that he would hand over his powers to the new prime minister on Nov 1.

Talking to reporters after casting his vote at a polling station on Park Road, he said everything had been finalized to transfer his powers of the chief executive to the new prime minister on first of the next month.

“We will go through the normal legal process after the elections includes to hand over my administrative powers to the prime minister,” he added. “I assure you that the new PM will enjoy all powers. He will be given a free hand to run his affairs without any interference,” Gen Musharraf said.

The president added that he would accept the verdict of the people as they were the final authority. “Any political party which succeeds in getting majority will form the government,” he said, adding that he and his cabinet colleagues would certainly accept the outcome of this elections.

“After handing over powers to the new prime minister, I would only play my constitutional role as the president of the country,” he said and added that the new prime minister would do his own job while the National Security Council(NSC) would have its own jurisdiction.

The president said he would extend all his support to the new chief executive so that democracy could be strengthened.

Answering to a question, Gen Musharraf said it would be the responsibility of the new prime minister to ensure continuity of reforms and consistency in policies. However, the president pointed out that the new prime minister would enjoy full authority to improve reforms. “No reforms are final as there is always a room for certain improvements,” he said. From Pakistan’s development point of view, these reforms and restructuring should continue, he emphasised.

Asked whether he was satisfied with the polling process, he said he was pleased to know that in most of the places everything went well. He said except for one or two minor incidents in Sindh and Punjab, the polling has been smooth and orderly.

Answering to a question he said with the setting up of local governments, people have been empowered to run their affairs on their own. The new prime minister, he hoped, would also strengthen these local governments for offering justice to the common man.