ISLAMABAD, Feb 11: The Pakistan Muslim League will hold intra-party polls in its centenary year ahead of schedule and complete the exercise by Aug 14, the party’s president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain announced here on Saturday.

The announcement was made by Mr Hussain in a directive issued to the provincial party chiefs, according to a PML handout. Mr Hussain said the exercise was intended to strengthen democracy within the party at all levels.

Since the year 2006 is the centenary year of the PML, the party is keen to observe it as “the year of democracy, elections and institutionalisation”, he said.

The 1,500-member strong general council will elect the central office-holders of the party by Aug 14.

Referring to his unanimous election as party president for a three-year term at a general council meeting in May 2004, Mr Hussain said that notwithstanding the fact that his term expires in May 2007, he felt it necessary to complete the process of election of all party offices before the 2007 elections.

All provincial headquarters of the League will maintain a computerised record of members from each district and a reorganisation exercise of the party from UC and taluka level up to provincial level will be finalized by May 15, 2006. Elections to the provincial council will be completed by Aug 14, 2006.

According to Mr Hussain, intra-party elections should be democratic, free and transparent, supervised by an independent election commission and every party worker or office holder would have the right to contest any office.

Emphasising the point that all party members could contest any position in the election, he said there would be no pressure or preference in this regard from the centre or the provinces.

In his directive, which has been sent through a letter to the four provincial party presidents and the head of PML in the Northern Areas, he said that the membership drive launched in 2005 would be completed by May 2006.