PESHAWAR, Feb 20: Awami National Party, which has won majority of seats in the province, is yet to finalise the name of its nominee for the chief minister’s slot of the NWFP, sources said.

Terming reports about the nomination of party MPAs for the top slot as rumours, sources said that it would be premature to name anyone at the moment.

“Party chief and MNA-elect Asfandyar Wali Khan is holding talks with Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of Pakistan People’s Party, after which the ANP would make public the name of its nominee for the post of NWFP chief minister,” they said. Sources said that hectic meetings and contacts were underway to nominate a party’s MPA to head the next provincial government, but added that no one had been nominated yet.

Asfandyar, already presented conditions for coalition with political parties at the central level, also hinted that as a major party ANP had the right to head the provincial government. “Once the party chief completes parleys with the political forces at the national level, then we would be able to nominate a person for the coveted position,” sources said.

After getting 30 provincial seats in Feb 18 general elections ANP is in strong position to form government either with the help of Pakistan People’s Party, which has 17 seats, or with the help of 18 independents. Sources said that several independents candidates contacted the party leaderships and extended their unconditional support in formation of the coalition government in the province.

“However, the party has decided that coalition governments at the province as well as the centre would be formed with the help of democratic forces,” they said. Sources conceded that the party had started hobnobbing to win over support of the MPAs, but said that ANP was careful in picking up coalition partners. We would try to enter into coalition governments both in the NWFP and at the centre with the like-minded parties and independents, party sources added.

The party, they said, had drawn outlines for the expected coalition partners and those accepting those outlines would be accepted. The ANP made it categorically clear that it would follow its manifesto on the basis of which the people voted for its candidates.

The renaming of the province, an end to war on terrorism in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and granting maximum provincial autonomy to the federating units are top priorities of the party, sources added. About the restoration of the deposed judges, party sources said that they had their own priorities, which had been written in the party’s manifesto. Everyone, except the religious parties are welcomed to join government with the ANP, they said.

Asked if ANP would nominate its aspirant for the slot of chief minister in consultation with the expected coalition parties, the sources said that it was the prerogative of the ANP to select one of its elected members of the assembly for the post purely on its linking. The coalition partners would have nothing to do with the ANP’s nominee for the post of chief minister, they said.