ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari felicitated the nation on Monday on the holding of the May 11 elections to mark the first democratic transition in the country. However, he made no mention of the PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif whose party secured the highest number of seats in the National Assembly.

Meanwhile, PPP president Amin Fahim accepted the results of the elections, although with some reservations. He also did not say anything about PML-N’s victory.

The president’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar quoted him as saying: “Holding of elections in accordance with the constitutional provisions is a triumph of the people, of democracy and of the system put in place for democratic transition.”

President Zardari felicitated all the national institutions and individuals who had worked hard to make possible the holding of this gigantic exercise so vital for the strengthening of democracy.

“The people of Pakistan have spoken through the ballot.”

The president expressed the hope that the next phase of democratic transition -- the smooth transfer of power in accordance with the will of the people as expressed by them through the vote -- would also be completed soon in accordance with the constitution.

When asked about the president and PPP not congratulating Nawaz Sharif on his victory, Senator Babar said the president would invite the victorious party to form its government at the centre soon after issuance of a notification of the results by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). “How can the president felicitate any party or its leaders and invite it for forming the government unless the Election Commission issues the notification?” he said in reply to a question in this regard.

He also said that the PPP had decided to sit on the opposition benches in the National Assembly.

“The PPP has decided that it will play a robust role within and outside parliament to strengthen democracy and democratic institutions,” he added.

And Mr Amin Fahim said: “The PPP accepts the verdict of the people as expressed by them through the May 11 vote.”

In a statement, he said although the party had serious reservations about the fairness of the polls, it has accepted the results in the interest of political stability, democracy and welfare of the people.

He complained that a level playing field had not been provided to the PPP and some other parties.

“Denial of a level playing field to the PPP and other democratic parties by militants on one hand and gerrymandering in a number of constituencies on the other has eroded the credibility of the elections,” he said.

Mr Fahim said PPP’s protests against unfairness in the polls had been heeded neither by the ECP nor by the caretaker government.

He called upon the ECP to look into all the complaints the PPP had lodged with it and redress them in accordance with the law.