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| November 18, 2002 | Monday | Ramazan 12, 1423 |
PPP refuses to accept amended Constitution
ISLAMABAD, Nov 17: The Pakistan People’s Party insisted Sunday it would not recognise controversial amendments introduced by the military regime ahead of October’s elections.
President Pervez Musharraf suspended the Constitution in the wake of his 1999 coup and later introduced 29 amendments, several of which leave parliament under the thumb of the president and the military, under a directive known as the Legal Framework Order (LFO).
Hours ahead of parliament’s inaugural session on Saturday, Musharraf “revived” the Constitution, replete with most of his 29 amendments.
“Our position is abundantly clear. We believe that the Constitution has been revived as of what it was prior to Oct 12, 1999, that is, minus the LFO,” secretary general of the PPP Raza Rabbani told AFP.
“We believe that in law there is no provision that allows for the amendments to become part and parcel of the Constitution without being ratified by parliament.”
The most contentious amendments hand the president power to sack parliament, and establish a military-dominated National Security Council to oversee government.
The PPP and other opposition parties had said they would refuse to take the oath under the revised Constitution during parliament’s inaugural sitting Saturday. But when the administrator of the oath assured them it was exactly the same, the swearing-in went ahead.
Afterwards the opposition parties insisted they had been sworn in under the original Constitution.
Broadly half of the National Assembly members support Musharraf and his amendments. The issue has been a sticking point in forming a governing coalition in the hung parliament.
But with 13 legislators from the PPP breaking ranks and declaring support for a pro-military party late last week, a loose alliance of Musharraf-allied parties now appears most likely to form government.
Rabbani said a decision would be made soon on how to discipline the dissenters.
“We are still examining their press conference and various statements,” he said. “In the next day or two the party will come to a decision as to what, if any, action is to be taken.”—AFP
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