April 06, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 28, 1429

KARACHI, April 5: Outgoing Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah has said that the Sindh Assembly is the highest elected institution of legislation in the province and it is the duty of political leaders to keep up its traditions and values.

Responding to questions of a group of journalists in his chamber after the inaugural session was adjourned for Monday, he said the main cause of the disorder was the issuance of assembly passes five times more than its capacity.

Party activists were overexcited as their party had returned to power after 12 years, he said and added that it was, however, obligatory on everyone to follow the rules of the house. Mr Shah said he was optimistic that the PPP, MQM, PML-F and PML-Q would realise their responsibilities in this regard.

“If their leaderships want to make the assembly an exemplary institution, they would have to ask their members and supporters to maintain discipline in the house by strictly following its rules and traditions.”

He criticised the raising of slogans against members of the former ruling coalition and damaging the frames of photographs of two former chief ministers, saying that tolerance of dissent was the essence of democracy and if they could not tolerate others there was no need to have democracy.

In reply to another question, he said the nomination papers for the office of speaker and deputy speaker would be received by the secretary’s office by 12noon, which would be followed by scrutiny at 3pm and the final list of the candidates would be displayed at 4pm. If there would be more than one candidate, their ballots would be printed for polling by secret balloting on Monday.

He said that with the announcement of the results after counting of votes, the session would be prorogued and in the evening a new session would be summoned for ascertaining the leader of the house while on April 8 the leader of the house would be administered the oath as chief minister followed by a vote of confidence in the house.

In reply to another question, Mr Shah said that for new members of the house, elected for the first time, a crash programme would be held on Sunday with the assistance of USAID on the assembly premises.

In the seminar, they would be briefed on how one could become an effective parliamentarian. They would be introduced about the procedure of legislation, budget analysis, accountability, monitoring of the budgetary expenditures and the committee system.

He said any member who could give seven to eight hours daily to equip himself with the rules and regulations and house procedure could become an effective parliamentarian.