November 7, 2002	Thursday	Ramazan 1,1423

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 6: The government has decided to further delay the holding of Senate elections, which were to be held by Oct 12, tantamount to further violation of the Supreme Court decision.

The Senate elections were scheduled to be held on Nov 12, but now there seems no possibility, as the provincial assemblies and national assembly, which are the electoral college for Senate elections, have not be convened.

An official of the Election Commission told Dawn that holding of Senate elections on Nov 12 was impossible as the assemblies have not been convened.

The government had first annouced that elections to the Senate would be held on the proportional representation basis, but later the decision was withdrawn and announced that election to the Senate would be held on existing constitutional mechanism, sans Fata.

At the time of reverting to the existing electoral college, it was announced that Senate elections would be held on Nov 12, but it has again been decided to further postpone those.

The government had taken the position that eight Senators from Fata would be elected through direct vote, as the MNAs from the area who were the earlier electoral college were sending people of dubious credentials to the Upper House by accepting hefty amounts from them.

The government, yet again, could not keep its word and annouced that senators from FATA would be elected according to existing constitutional mechanism.

The provincial assemblies are the electoral college for the Senate elections under the existing constitutional mechanism.

Whenever held, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), would dominate the Upper House as it would have more than 40 Senators in the house of 100 members.

It would be in position to install its chairman of who would be the acting president of the country in the absence of the country.

Each province has a share of 22 seats in the 100 member Senate, including eight from Fata and four from the federal capital. Four senator from Islamabad would be elected by the national assembly members.