MULTAN: Accepting responsibility for PPP’s electoral defeat, former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has quit the post of the party’s senior vice chairman.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, he said the PPP lost elections in southern Punjab because it had not met the demand of the people of this region for creation of a new province.

“As a former prime minister, I am taking responsibility for the party’s defeat. Bilawal (Bhutto Zardari) was not responsible for PPP’s performance in the elections because there is no connection between the party’s performance and government’s affairs,” Mr Gilani said.

He said President Asif Ali Zardari had not asked him to resign. “I have decided to resign keeping in view the election results.”

He said the criterion for success of a party was implementation of at least 40 per cent of its manifesto while the PPP government had implemented 80 per cent of its manifesto. “The history will decide about our government’s performance as we have done legislation, improved infrastructure and increased electricity generation capacity.” Mr Gilani said the power projects launched by the PPP government would complete in two to three years and on the basis of this our opponents are claiming to overcome the energy crisis.”

He said he had suggested to the PPP leadership that government’s tenure should be reduced from five to four years because people usually got fed up with the long government tenure of any party. He said there were equal opportunities for both the government and the opposition to serve the masses and the PPP would play an effective opposition role.

Mr Gilani said many facts would emerge about the election results after a few days, adding that his party was assessing constituency-wise results and would publish a ‘white paper’ in this regard.

The former premier said there was a need to reorganise the PPP at union council level to bring new leadership.

He said efforts were being made to marginalise the Muttahida Qaumi Movement although it had played a democratic role over the past five years. The MQM had an important role in maintaining law and order in Karachi, he said.

Mr Gilani extended ‘best wishes’ to Nawaz Sharif whose PML-N swept the elections.