Mamnoon Hussain elected 12th President of Pakistan

Dawn.com Dawn News Agencies Published July 30, 2013

ISLAMABAD: Ruling party candidate Mamnoon Hussain was elected as the 12th President of Pakistan on Tuesday, replacing Asif Ali Zardari whose five-year term expires in September.

Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G Ebrahim said Hussain received a total of 432 votes from the two houses of Parliament and the four provincial assemblies.

Hussain, a 73-year-old textile businessman from Karachi, will be sworn in on Sept 9 at the presidency due to be vacated by incumbent Asif Ali Zardari.

Hussain, who will be president for five years, resigned his membership of the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) soon after the election results were announced, in what is seen as a symbolic move to establish himself as a non-partisan president.

Hussain has been an active member of the PML-N since the 1960s. He was governor of Sindh from June to October 1999 when Sharif's government was overthrown by the then army chief General Pervez Musharraf.

The new president was elected by an electoral college made up of members of the Senate, National Assembly and the assemblies of the four provinces. Voting was held with secret ballots at two polling booths from 10am to 3pm.

According to the official results announced by Ebrahim, 432 votes were cast in favour of Hussain. Mamnoon required 263 votes to win, a target comfortably achieved with the 277 votes cast in the National Assembly and Senate.

A total of 77 votes were polled in favour of Justice Retd Wajihuddin Ahmed, the competing candidate backed by the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI), while nine votes were declared invalid, said the chief election commissioner.

27 electoral votes were cast in the Sindh Assembly, out of which 25 were polled to Mamnoon Hussain while two went to Wajihuddin.

Hussain secured 55 votes out of 56 votes cast in the Balochistan Assembly, while Wajihuddin could get only one vote.

57 electoral votes were cast at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, where Wajihuddin took the lead by bagging 36 votes against Mamnoon Hussain, who got 21.

Out of total 58 electoral votes validly cast at the Punjab Assembly, Mamnoon Hussain received 54 and Wajihuddin 4.

Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim visited the National Assembly while polling was underway. The voters had been requested to leave their cellphones, cameras etc outside the polling booths for the duration of the election.

Strict security arrangements were in place at the National Assembly, the four provincial assemblies and the Senate for the occasion.

PML-N candidate Mamnoon Hussain also arrived at the National Assembly premises while lawmakers were casting their votes.

The main opposition party in the National Assembly, the Pakistan Peoples Party, had withdrawn its candidate and announced a boycott of the election over reservations on the decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to reschedule the poll.

The Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid (PML-Q), Balochistan National Party - Awami (BNP-A) and the Awami Muslim League (AML) also boycotted the election.

Pakistan

Exclusive coverage: Presidential Election 2013

PML-Q to vote for Mamnoon in Balochistan

Comfortable victory likely for Mamnoon

NAUMAN KHAN TANULI

Jul 30, 2013 11:35am

In really PML-N is going to destroy his career by aligning the MQM because there are only two facts that left there effect on the whole politics of this country. One point which is creating the confusion for every one is this although PML-N has his own extra 15 votes then why he is trying to attach MQM. This action will again give the oxygen to this party who is going toward his downfall and secondly it shows that Mr Nawaz has yet not believe on his party members. Thanks

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Muhammad Ahsan Khan

Jul 30, 2013 11:58am

Every President in Pakistan considers himself a democratic President and claims to be the represetative of the people. The people (demos) have never elected a president in Pakistan as in France and USA. Any indivisual not elected by the people can not claim to be its representative. In Pakistan it is the a collectivity of the represetives of the people which elects a President. Thus the President becomes the Head of the State. He represents the STATE and not the PEOPLE

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Reader

Jul 30, 2013 12:43pm

Shouldn't a President be a neutral candidate? How can you expect neutrality especially after experiences from PPP President Zardari.

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Attiqa

Jul 30, 2013 02:27pm

Desi Fashion News and hot girls dresses

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Anees

Jul 30, 2013 04:29pm

21st century Chaudhry Fazal Elahi.

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Truth

Jul 30, 2013 04:58pm

Another billionaire is born in Pakistan and the smile suggests he cannot wait. The Presidency is the key to huge amounts of wealth so the country continues to suffer but the drama played out by a chosen few 'democratic' actors is being aired across the world.

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Mirza Imran Ahsan

Jul 30, 2013 05:11pm

How come some votes were rejected? The MPs don't even know how to vote. Why Musharraf's graduate policy was abandoned?

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Jul 30, 2013 05:41pm

great news..expecting something good to hear from the new President.

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US Centcom

Jul 30, 2013 05:47pm

We congratulate the nation of Pakistan on the election of the New President. The historical transition of one democratically elected to another shows the commitment of the Pakistani nation to the process of democracy. We hope to continue on the path of cooperation and better working relationship with the new president as well. We repeat what Richard B. Olson, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, said right before the General Elections in April:

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sattar rind

Jul 30, 2013 05:55pm

congratulation to the new president of Pakistan.

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the truth

Jul 30, 2013 05:58pm

Now let us keep an eye on his personal assets and when he leaves the Presidency of Pakistan the Islamic Republic !

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julian

Jul 30, 2013 06:15pm

bye bye president zardari...thank God.....maseebat gayee...hope new president will stir pakistan to prosperity....

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khalid sheikh

Jul 30, 2013 06:24pm

Pakistani Politics is suffering from a DROWN syndrome.I thought Nawaz Sharif was going to make it right this time but its getting WORSE.

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saytheturth

Jul 30, 2013 06:32pm

Our luck, it look like we have history of picking really old dinosaur for President positions and for PM we always take somebody from political family. I really don't see any change coming to Pakistan I thought Nawaz Sharif may bring some change but more than 1 month into power all he has done is to increase Tax on the poor. Everything got expensive, as we all know Pakistan has either super rich or poor. The rich don't care if the price go up or down but for the poor of Pakistan we are all suffering big time. Even how the President got selected is a Joke, is this how you really work with other parities I don't think so. Nawaz Sharif has learned nothing from his past. May Allah help us, I have lost my hope with Pakistani politician they make promises before getting elected after election their words means nothing to them. I must admit I got fooled by our political leaders and I take full responsibility for it because as long as we keep on electing leaders from rich political family we will continue to suffer. They have done nothing for us in the past and they don't have a real plan for Pakistan other than playing politics. Next time I will be more careful but now I am ready to pay the price for my mistake for next 4 years and 11 months.

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Jason

Jul 30, 2013 06:45pm

@Muhammad Ahsan Khan: The people elect the parliament and representatives of that elected parliament which include the assemblies and the previously elected members of the Senate then elect a President. The President may not be elected by the people directly but they vote for the parties which form the parliament, and a President is elected by them. In a way it is indirect representation of the people.

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Ravindra Patel

Jul 30, 2013 06:48pm

"Hussain, who will be president for five years, resigned his membership of the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) soon after the election results were announced, in what is seen as a symbolic move to establish himself as a non-partisan president." -----As per constitution it may be true that one should be and can become non-partisan (neutral). But can it be possible for a person who has accepted the ideology of one party for life time can become neutral by just resigning form that party? We have (in India), such post like President and Speakers of the law maker houses and public has experienced the person in the office has most of the time leaned towards their parents party's ideology.

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SKChadha

Jul 30, 2013 07:09pm

My heartiest congratulations to all my Pakistani friends and the entire Awam of Pakistan for this smooth transition.

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SKChadha

Jul 30, 2013 07:09pm

My heartiest congratulations to all my Pakistani friends and the entire Awam of Pakistan for this smooth transition.

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Jul 30, 2013 07:14pm

How wrong, "Hussain has been an active member of the PML-N since the 1960s". There was no ML-N in 1960s.

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Jul 30, 2013 07:16pm

@Muhammad Ahsan Khan: If that was true then the prime minister also only represents people of one constituency and he is elected in the same manner as the president. So should the prime minister be called as representative of the state rather than people?

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noor

Jul 30, 2013 07:17pm

congratulations on becoming the president of a country which is not safe from taliban.

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Anees

Jul 30, 2013 07:31pm

How can he be our president? I don't know him. I know former off-spinner Nazir Jr. more than him.

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Guest

Jul 30, 2013 07:45pm

@Muhammad Ahsan Khan: Not sure what your point was but Pakistan is a parliamentary democracy where president is ceremonial unlike France and USA. It is just a different form of democracy not an apples to apples comparison. In this form of democracy, Prime minister has all the powers who is also the representative of the people pretty much like UK and India.

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Zecchetti

Jul 30, 2013 07:47pm

@Muhammad Ahsan Khan: Spare a thought for the UK, where we have a hereditary head of state

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athar

Jul 30, 2013 08:30pm

@NAUMAN KHAN TANULI: what a biased statement from Noaman & full of haterate against the political party which is the 3rd largest party in the country.

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Irshad Ali

Jul 30, 2013 08:41pm

@NAUMAN KHAN TANULI: Nawaz is on the right path by trying to reconcile with MQM which is the major party of urban Sind and its hold on the urban masses is firm. Altaf Hussain might be on decline but not MQM and this fact has to be understood by many of our political leaders. I am sure that not in the distant future, a new leadership of MQM will emerge capable of leading a vast segment of educated and enlightened Pakistanis towards fulfilling the vision of our founding fathers.

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Rashid Sultan

Jul 30, 2013 09:00pm

Congratulations President sahib. I am glad you don't sport western clothes and have 'angrezi' pretensions and dress like a common Pakistani man despite being wealthy. And educated.

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MSAlvi

Jul 30, 2013 09:03pm

@Muhammad Ahsan Khan: Pakistani parliamentary democratic system is a joke. They need to have presidential system, where the president should be elected directly by the people, to run the executive branch of the government. In parliamentary system, there is no independence between the 3 branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) of the government. Pakistan needs to have presidential system, but the politicians will not change it, because parliamentary system works for them better. This country is in a big mess; even God cannot help it.

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S. Israr Ali

Jul 30, 2013 09:07pm

Mr Mamnoon Hussain, the new President of Pakistan and its people or another stooge of Nawaz Sharif like Zardari was of PPP! People of Pakistan are being robbed successively in the name of democracy without break and ultimately suffering with no let off. People of Pakistan need bold, independent and maverick doing all for people!

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M. Siddique

Jul 30, 2013 09:26pm

@Reader: Zardari was also the co-chair of the PPP.

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tnaqvi

Jul 30, 2013 09:28pm

"Hussain has been an active member of the PML-N since the 1960s." This can't be correct.

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Zahid

Jul 30, 2013 09:29pm

Lol @ "Hussain has been an active member of the PML-N since the 1960s." Really Plm-n existed back then?

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M. Siddique

Jul 30, 2013 09:29pm

@Muhammad Ahsan Khan: Please read the constitution of Pakistan and this is the method laid out in the constitution. US and French presidents are elected differently. In fact in the US there is an electoral college and method is slightly different. Making a general statement is lack of knowledge of the system in which elections are held.

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Dr Qureshi

Jul 30, 2013 09:43pm

@Reader: Will Zardari be arresetd in NRO and other cases at the end of his term, when his immunity expires ?

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Akhter Husain

Jul 30, 2013 09:51pm

A very heavy burden has been placed on Mr Mamnoon Husain,the newly elected president.I am sure he knows what Mr Roosevelt said about corruption,he said "To destroy this invisible Government,,to dissolve the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day."The president and the prime minister, being from the corporate business will strengthen the said unholy alliance,who will now save the people from corrupt practices?

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Qamar

Jul 30, 2013 10:09pm

I have not seen a detailed bio for the new President in Pakistani media. Who is he and what makes him the right person for this job?

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Madan

Jul 30, 2013 11:08pm

I am glad that one of the so called muhajir from India got chance to lead the country i.e Pakistan.Even his opponent from the other party was a muhijir like him.Congrats and best of luck to Mamnoon Hussain.

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Ali Qazi

Jul 30, 2013 11:11pm

@Muhammad Ahsan Khan: "People" do NOT elect the president of the United States either! ;) The POTUS(President of the United States) is elected by the Electoral College, who are "representative" of the people of the United States. US Presidential elections are not a direct election.

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Talha

Jul 30, 2013 11:14pm

We could not have found an honest guy. Unfortunately not possible in current political environment in Pakistan. But at least, we could have found somebody more presentable in front of the world. This guy... just imagine him presenting Pakistan in world forums. What a shame.

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Nawazichamcha

Jul 31, 2013 12:21am

PTI contestor should have been elected, as He looks more deserving Person then Mamnoon Hussain, anyhow lets see, Which form of Government is going to be now?, I expect Good from Mamnoon Hussain and good wishes give us a good result so lets wait and watch. All the best Momnoon Hussain, and please don't be like Asif Ali Zardari. May ALLAH make Pakistan one of the Properous and Developed Nation. Ameen. Somma Ameen.

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SJA

Jul 31, 2013 12:50am

Congratulations PM for keeping up with the Indian Friendship ------- If India can have a PRESIDENT OF INDIA in the name of Zakir HUSSAIN in the 1960-1970 so why cannot PAKISTAN has a PRESIDENT MAMNOON HUSSAIN in 2013 nominated by the guys with a lot of AMAN KI BASHAS, if you do not believe me ask GEO they must come out with great celebrations of AMAN KI LOTS OF ASHAAAAASSSS""""" Indian President Zakir Hussain Paksitan President Mamnoon Hussain/

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mazhar rehman

Jul 31, 2013 01:03am

Congrats to Mamnoon Hussain for being elected as the President of Pakistan.

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Farouk Khan

Jul 31, 2013 01:08am

As for the controversy surrounding the elections, what the PMLN has argued and the SC has agreed is essentially that in case of dire emergency, for example in case of war, happening in the last week of Ramadhan in future the parliament, the government and all state institutions shall be in a state of dormancy.

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babar

Jul 31, 2013 02:03am

Congratulations Mr. President! Only very few people know that Mamnoon Hussain is a distant relative of Altaf Hussain. As Altaf Hussain's and Mamnoon's families migrated from Agrah. Their family tree is same so Congratulations for Altaf Hussain as well.

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ali

Jul 31, 2013 02:39am

Mr Mamnoon Hussain is seen in the picture with a huge smile,he is going to smile all the way to the bank for the next five years.Pakistan does not need a ceremonial/ powerless president simply because it cannot afford it.The salary is high the perks are high and the maintenance of the president house costs millions to the tax payers in a country where less then 2M people pay taxes..This position should be done away with.

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Saeed

Jul 31, 2013 02:57am

@sattar rind: You said right thing but our people only like dictators who came into power through back door and stay for 11 yrs. And they hate democracy .

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TKhan

Jul 31, 2013 03:28am

Let us have some facts here. President Mamnoon Hussain is not a textile magnate more like a textile business man. He had a very humble beginning on the streets of Burns Road/Aram Bagh Karachi. His pious immigrant father from Delhi/Aagra owned a shoe factory (a cottage industry) right in the heart of the residential neighborhood where we lived. His family compared to other immigrant families in the neighborhood was somewhat well off, however, not super rich by any means. His older brother worked in the factory along side his father and uncle. He and his other brothers went to regular government schools/colleges. I heard he earned an MBA. He played cricket and seasonal sports just like any teenager in Aram Bagh. The family's shoe business did fall on hard times due to competition. However, later on he started a textile export business, somewhat a reward of his loyalty to Nawaz Sharif. Overall he is a decent man, but of course all my knowledge about him is before he entered politics. He is a loyal Muslim Leaguer, he will be a yes Man to Nawaz Sharif and that will be his strength to stay in the office for next 5 years.

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kirther

Jul 31, 2013 03:54am

It will be in his interest and interest of the whole country that President elect Mamnoon Hussain declare his and his family assets. It is very important that the concerned government authority like income tax department should endorse his statements. It has happened in the past that politicians have accumulated wealth through undisclosed sources at the cost of national interest, there is no need to give any names because in the past everyone in any position of authority are guilty of accumulating wealth illegitimately. Even the Prime Minister should declare his wealth which increased exponentially since he became the Chief Minister of Punjab and during his previous term as Prime Minister.

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mubashir

Jul 31, 2013 04:13am

Who cares? It is a ceremonial post anyway!

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mohsin Meghani

Jul 31, 2013 05:09am

Now we have new Pakistani President born in India.Mr.PM you did not find any young and energetic person in whole of Pakistan.

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Zahir

Jul 31, 2013 09:45am

Mr. Mamnoon Hussain is a decent, ethical , caring individual who will I predict , not line his pockets but will work for the betterment of all citizens of Pakistan. Rather than being cynical, we should give him time to prove his worth.

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Noon

Jul 31, 2013 02:52pm

@US Centcom: Can US mind its own business.

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Mohammad Imran

Aug 01, 2013 08:29am

congratulation mr.mamnon hussain

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passerby

Aug 01, 2013 02:39pm

@mohsin Meghani: Do you have problem if a person born in India?? huh what a rubbish thinking...

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Sonal

Aug 01, 2013 05:27pm

@mohsin Meghani: That's a hilarious comment :) Are you concerned that he was born in India, or that he is too old? I hope it's the latter, because quite a large number of Pakistanis were born in India - your heart will be overloaded with hatred if you hate them all.

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