ISLAMABAD, June 28: The prime minister-in-waiting, Shaukat Aziz, awaits many a surprise as he treads a minefield during the next at least 90 days to assume the mantle of prime minister with some members of the ruling party suggesting on Monday that nothing was certain in the power game till the finishing line was crossed.

The hostile reaction to Mr Aziz's nomination to succeed Chaudhry Shujaat within the ruling party was conveyed to the journalists by some PML MNAs despite public pronouncement of the party chief that not a single legislator opposed or sought an explanation for nomination of Mr Aziz as prime minister-in- waiting during the parliamentary party meeting.

Mr Shujaat also thought it prudent to bring it on record that the decision to nominate Mr Aziz as the prime minister was taken by President Gene Pervez Musharraf. However, sources in the ruling party said Mr Aziz would have a lot of explanations to give during the next few weeks.

The sources said from the time a seat was vacated till the elections were held and the name of a successful candidate declared, it would take a minimum of three months. "Three months is a long time in politics and once you go to the electorate, the results cannot be predicted," an influential MNA of the ruling party said.

The 50 or so potential prime ministers in the ruling party are "not yet claiming compensation for having lost the race for the prime minister's office". A senior legislator said the "free and fair elections" being promised for Mr Aziz from a safe constituency would not be easy to manipulate as the combined opposition would lobby extensively and the possibility of a reception similar to that of Multan could not be ruled out wherever Mr Aziz would go for canvassing.

Besides, the national and the international media will focus on each and every ballot and the "trickle down democracy would be hard to implement". Some of the top contenders for the prime minister's slot before the name of Mr Aziz was revealed, looked confident about their future despite the surprise sprung on them.