ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: Opposition parties in the National Assembly and Senate on Thursday boycotted proceedings of the vote of confidence for President Gen Pervez Musharraf and staged a walkout from both Houses , describing the process "unconstitutional and illegal" and aimed at perpetuating the "illegitimate military rule."

Later, the Opposition leaders spoke separately to newsmen and vowed to continue a joint struggle for the supremacy of parliament and restore the 1973 Constitution in its original form whenever they were able to gain a two-thirds majority in parliament.

The Opposition criticized what it termed the illegal interpretation of the law by the Law Department that allowed the Opposition members to switch their loyalties and vote for the president.

Earlier, the Law Department had issued a notification on the eve of the vote of confidence, saying the law of floor-crossing would not be applicable to any member who casts his vote for the president irrespective of his party affiliation.

ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim said the Opposition parties together held a clear majority in the National Assembly and if there was no prior commitment between the government and the MMA then the Speaker should announce the name of ARD nominee as the Leader of the Opposition.

He said whatever amendments had been made to the Constitution through the 17th Amendment would be undone whenever the Opposition got a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. He alleged that the office of the President was being destroyed through the so-called vote of confidence.

PML-N Vice President Tehmina Daultana said her party neither accepted Gen Musharraf as legitimately-elected president nor it acknowledged him as the COAS as he was a former serviceman in the eyes of the party.

PPP Vice President Shah Mahmud Qureshi said that politicians, for temporary personal gains, were consolidating hands of dictatorial forces and selling out national interests against personal interests.

He called upon the people who wanted to strengthen democratic institutions to reject such elements who were promoting their personal interests. Others who spoke on the occasion were: Sahibzada Fazal Karim of JUP (Markazi), Saad Rafiq of PML-N and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf of PPP Parliamentarians.

Earlier, Mian Raza Rabbani, parliamentary leader of the PPP Parliamentarians in the Senate, said that the vote of confidence for Gen Musharraf had been sought in violation of the Article 41 of schedule 2 of the Constitution.

He said the MMA, by accepting the farce vote of confidence, had acknowledged referendum to be genuine and fair. To a question, he said a majority of politicians were men of character but under a conspiracy they were discredited and maligned to pave the way for military rules and their perpetuation.