|
|
| 26 April 2004 | Monday | 05 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425 |
Leader of opposition to be appointed in May: Speaker
WASHINGTON, April 25: National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain told Dawn on Sunday that he intended to appoint the leader of the opposition by the middle of next month.
"We will have the leader of the opposition before next NA session and I think there will be a session in the middle of May," he said. In a an interview that covered various aspects of the current political debate "from the National Security Council to the opposition-government disputes", the speaker said the PPP and the MMA had both assured him that "they will not let this assembly or the government fall".
Explaining the delay in appointing the leader of the opposition, Mr Hussein said the group demanding the position should be able to meet the quorum requirements on its own.
The PPP, he said, claimed to have 81 seats, including those of the PML-N, while the MMA said it had 61 seats, which was not enough to qualify them for this position on their own.
But the speaker said that in the past, groups with lesser number of seats had been given this position. Asked, as the custodian of parliament if he felt slighted when the National Security Council was created, Mr Hussain said he would have, had the NSC been superior to parliament.
"But the NSC is an advisory body and not a decision making body. The NSC will send its recommendations to the National Assembly and the Senate and they will take the decision," he said.
Besides, the NSC can only deal with "emergencies and national crises," said the speaker, adding that the proposition that the council should also ensure "good governance" and "the smooth functioning of democracy" were deleted from the original proposal.
"Still, a body has been created which can not only dismiss a government, but also dissolve parliament. Does it not further weaken an already weak parliament," he was asked.
"OK. Let us look at it from another angle. Under Article 58(2) b, the president already had this power. Now he is required to consult a body of 13 members. Who is less likely to make a mistake, an individual or a body of 13 people? I would say, it is a better arrangement," said the speaker.
"But it does give the army a role," he was asked. "Yes, but only an advisory role." "Why then the politicians do not acknowledge that the army has always had a role in Pakistani politics and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future?" he was asked.
"As speaker, I should not answer this question. But I do feel that democracy has been strengthened and the present parliament will complete its tenure." "And what gives you this confidence?" "First of all, I feel that both the opposition and the government want this system to work. Both the PPP and the MMA have said they will not let this assembly or the government fall.
"Besides, the military also does not want to intervene again and again, particularly when they have been given an advisory role. President Musharraf also has assured that he will not allow this parliament to fall. And I trust him. He has fulfilled all the promises he had made in the past. There's also better coordination among the three branches of the state."
|
|