February 1, 2006	Wednesday	Muharram 2, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 31: Some senior ruling party parliamentarians, including federal ministers, on Tuesday claimed that present assemblies could elect Gen Pervez Musharraf for another five-year term before the next general elections.

These MPs were contacted to seek their comments on the statement of Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Ilahi, who had stated that Gen Pervez Musharraf would be elected for another term in his military uniform. He was speaking at a public meeting in Rawalpindi on Monday.

However, there was a difference of opinion among the MPs on whether Gen Musharraf could keep his uniform for next term or not. “I cannot make a comment,” said a key federal minister when asked to comment on the issue.

“Please, do not ask this question at this point of time, as my Senate application is still pending for approval,” said another senior party member.

However, a cabinet member said that Gen Musharraf could continue in his military uniform as it was given in the 17th Amendment that the President had been given permission to keep his army uniform only for one time.

He was of the view that “one time” meant the next term as Gen Musharraf was already in uniform when the amendment was passed.

The MPs said the present assemblies would complete their tenure in November 2007 and under Article 224 of the Constitution, the general elections would be held in January 2008.

Article 224 states: “A general election to the National Assembly or a provincial assembly shall be held within a period of 60 days immediately (following) the day on which the term of the assembly is due to expire, unless the assembly has been sooner dissolved.”

On the other hand, parliamentary secretary of the opposition Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) Izhar Amrohvi said that Gen Musharraf was not eligible to contest the election of the president under Article 44(2) of the Constitution which stated that “no person shall hold the office of the president for more than two consecutive terms.”

Mr Amrohvi said that Gen Musharraf had already completed his two terms as he had taken oath of the president’s office twice.

He said first Gen Musharraf took oath of office when he became president after removing Rafiq Tarar and the second time after the 2002 elections. Therefore, he said, the question whether the present assemblies or the future assemblies could elect Gen Musharraf in uniform or without uniform did not arise at all.

People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) Senator Farhatullah Babar said it was a “matter of shame” that there were people who claimed allegiance to democracy yet looked forward to a military general in uniform to oversee them.

“Pathetic and disgusting are the words that come to mind to describe such people,” he said.