MMA threatens mass movement: Third round of talks tomorrow
By Ashraf Mumtaz
LAHORE, Sept 14: The stage is set for a dialogue between the ruling coalition and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal in Islamabad on Tuesday with the MMA sticking to its stance that the LFO should be brought to parliament for approval and the government saying that it has become part of the Constitution.
The MMA has also threatened to launch a mass movement against President Gen Pervez Musharraf if the Islamabad talks failed.
The PML-Q, on the other hand, is not willing to budge on its position over the LFO and other contentious issues, although a coalition partner told Dawn that he had advised the prime minister not to insist that the LFO had become part of the Constitution without the approval of parliament.
This leader has also conveyed to the relevant quarters that continued protest would shorten the life of parliament, or at least the government.
President Musharraf’s reiteration only a couple of days ago that the LFO is part of the Constitution and that he himself will take a decision on when to relinquish his army office, has left little room for the ruling party to manoeuvre.
An important PML-Q leader said there was no shift in the ruling party’s stand on any of the important issues in the LFO. He said the MMA should realise the sensitivity of the situation and come to terms with the government to enable the system to work smoothly.
On the other hand, a central MMA leader, who had been discussing the LFO with a team of PML-Q in Lahore, claimed on Sunday that the religious parties alliance was flexible in its approach and was keen on finding a solution to the problem which had plagued the system.
“The government alone would be responsible for the failure of talks,” Mr Baloch asserted while talking to Dawn, indicating that the MMA was willing to consider the government’s offer that Gen Musharraf would seek a confidence vote from his electoral college instead of facing a fresh election.
So far, the two sides have been offering conflicting views on the subject.
While the PML-Q insisted that a fresh election of the president was out of the question, the MMA had been equally regid, claiming that it would not be satisfied with anything short of that.
If the Tuesday talks failed, Mr Baloch warned, all opposition parties would get united on the issue of the LFO and approach the electorate to mount pressure on President Musharraf to quit.
He believed that the Opposition parties would not have to wait for long to see the ouster of President Gen Musharraf through a mass movement.
“The MMA has shown maximum flexibility to reach an agreement. Now the obdurate refusal of Gen Musharraf and his team is hampering progress,” the MMA leader said.
Asked why the MMA was not willing to leave it to Gen Musharraf when he should step down as COAS, Mr Baloch said the MMA wanted to bring to an end the ambiguity on the issue.
