February 25, 2008	Monday	Safar 17, 1429

PESHAWAR, Feb 24: The Awami National Party has agreed to give the key slots of speaker and senior minister in the Frontier province to the Pakistan People’s Party under a power-sharing formula reached between the two parties.

Dispelling the impression that the PPP was vying for the slot of the chief minister, PPP’s provincial general secretary Najmuddin Khan said the two parties had reached an understanding on the three coveted posts in which the chief ministership would go to the ANP, the major victor in the NWFP. However, further modalities would be finalised in the next few days, he said.

“It is understood that the ANP and the PPP will form a coalition government in the province,” said Mr Najmuddin. He said there were so many issues between the two parties that would have to be resolved before formation of the government.

When asked if the PPP was in contact with independent MPAs and other political parties in the province, including the PPP-S, to form a government minusa ANP in the province, he said they were negotiating with independents and various political parties, but only the PPP and the ANP would form the government.

“PPP doors are open for independent MPAs and others who want to join the party unconditionally,” said Mr Najmuddin, who won national and provincial assembly seats from Upper Dir.

Political parties and 19 independent candidates continued hobnobbing for getting share in the next set-up in the province. A group of eight independent MPAs-elect -- Malik Hayat, Amjid Afridi, Syed Qalb-i-Hasan, Mohammad Abbas, Makdoom Mureed Kazim, Habibur Rehman Tanoli, Fazalullah and Mian Nisar Gul -- met in the house of Mian Nisar here on Saturday and discussed their future line of action. They have not yet formally announced formation of a separate group. They discussed that being an independent body how they could perform a role in the assembly.

Sources said importance of independent MPAs-elect had declined due to ongoing talks between the ANP and the PPP for formation of the government.

The ANP with 31 seats has convened a meeting of the party’s think-tank at the Bacha Khan Markaz on Monday. The 30-member body comprising retired bureaucrats and intellectuals will give recommendations regarding future set-up and formulate policies for running governance and other affairs in the region.

Mr Asfandyar will preside over the closed-door meeting. Sources said the think-tank was likely to recommend names for slots of the chief minister and ministers in the province.

Sources said different groups in the ANP were lobbying for the slot of the chief minister. They said various names were under consideration but party’s former parliamentary leader Bashir Ahmad Bilour was the main contender for the slot.

A parliamentary party meeting of the PPP-S, which bagged five seats, is likely to be held in Peshawar in the next two days to evolve its future strategy. A senior leader said his party had decided not to oppose the future set-up in the province, although it would sit on the opposition benches.