July 23, 2003	Wednesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 22, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, July 22: The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy has decided to support People’s Party Parliamentarians president Makhdoom Amin Fahim’s candidature for opposition leader’s slot in the National Assembly.

However, the alliance is unlikely to make the decision public until after the proposed government-opposition meeting on the Legal Framework Order so as not to alienate the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.

MMA secretary-general Maulana Fazlur Rehman is also a candidate and he has already submitted to the speaker a list of 68 MNAs to prove his majority.

Following submission of the list by the MMA, the ARD announced forming its own parliamentary group in the house with 81 MNAs, thus minimizing Maulana Fazl’s chances of becoming the opposition leader.

ARD’s parliamentary group secretary Izhar Amrohvi said the ARD had the right to get the slot as it enjoyed support of more MNAs.

In reply to a question whether the speaker had asked Mr Fahim to show his majority, Mr Amrohvi said the speaker was laying foundation of a wrong tradition. Under the Constitution, he said, it was up to the speaker to nominate the opposition leader and added that never in parliamentary history had a member been asked to submit names of his supporters to claim the opposition leader’s slot.

He said the speaker should have no difficulty in assessing the majority of a candidate as he was aware of the seat allocations in the house as also the number of seats of each party.