PPP calls for mid-term elections -DAWN - National; 3 April, 2005


3 April, 2005	Sunday	23 Safar 1426

PPP calls for mid-term elections

By Our Correspondent

LARKANA, April 2: The leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Mr Nisar Khuhro, has demanded mid-term elections under the supervision of an independent election commission.

Talking to journalists here on Saturday, he said that deteriorating law and order situation, rising graph of unemployment, higher prices of essential commodities and widening gulf among the provinces were enough reasons to call for mid-term elections.

Foreign observers in the past had pointed towards the failure of the non-independent election commission to stop rigging,

therefore, an independent commission should be appointed to supervise the mid-term polls, he said.

Answering a question, he said that the People’s Party Parliamentarians would participate in local bodies’ elections and the party was ready for it.

About a no-confidence motion against Speaker of Sindh Assembly Syed Muzaffar Shah, he said that the government had violated the rules by stopping its members from taking part in secrete ballot and added that it spoke of a ‘fragile trust’ in its ranks.

Mr Khuhro said that the PPP would table another no-confidence motion against the speaker if he did not improve his behaviour.

‘We do not care for the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s support to the motion,” he said.

About the PPP’s refusal to support the MMA’s strike call, he said that the alliance had granted time to President Gen Pervez Musharraf by supporting the 17th constitutional amendment.

Mr Khuhro said that the PPP believed in returning to power only through elections and that was why it was putting pressure on the rulers to hold mid-term polls.

However, he did not answer a question about softening of the attitude of the PPP leadership to President Gen Musharraf.

Answering to a question, he said that the central executive committee and federal council of the PPP would meet in Naudero on April 3 to take stock of the obtaining political situation in the country and reiterate confidence in the leadership.