February 28, 2003	Friday	Zul Hijjah 26, 1423

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ISLAMABAD Feb 27: President and parliamentary leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, said on Thursday that only an experienced and competent parliamentarian will be elected as new chairman of Senate.

Talking to newsmen at the National Assembly hall during the elections of four senators from Islamabad, Mr Hussain said though no decision had yet been taken, it was clear that the nominee for the top Senate slot would neither be a favourite of the president nor his own.

Responding to a question with regard to controversial Legal Framework Order (LFO), the PML leader said: “In my opinion both sides — the treasury and opposition — should sit together to evolve a consensus on which clauses or articles there was a consensus and on which there was a split. Then, he said, the controversial articles or clauses could be taken up for a debate or amendment if needed in parliament.

He said his party, with the support of allies and independents, had won a comfortable majority in the Senate elections and the coalition was now in a position to easily elect its own candidate as the chairman of Senate.

The PML leader, however, said his party was ready to reach an understanding on a consensus candidate for Senate chairman with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and other opposition parties.