KARACHI, Aug 26: The People’s Party Parliamentarians on Monday said the Legal Framework Order 2002 is an attempt to give protection to dictatorship through a democratic facade.

Speaking at a news conference, PPP Parliamentarians chief Makhdoom Amin Fahim said if transparent, free and fair elections were held and Benazir Bhutto’s path was not obstructed, then she would be the leader of the house in the future parliament. He was asked as to who would be the prime minister if his party got the requisite majority.

Amin Fahim said he was anxiously waiting to see “how Gen Pervez Musharraf honours his promise of free, fair and transparent elections. Let the elections be felt and seen on the ground to be free, fair and transparent,” he added.

He said his party did not recognise the right of an individual or the Supreme Court to amend the constitution. The LFO 2002 is beyond the ambit of the apex court’s judgement in Zafar Ali Shah’s case, he maintained.

He warned that efforts to mutilate and finally do away with the 1973 Constitution were fraught with grave danger because in the days ahead it will not be possible to have a similar consensus document. It is, therefore, necessary for the political forces to defend the 1973 Constitution.

Asked how the PPP would behave in view of the regime’s declared stand that the future assembly would not have the authority to amend the amendments and reforms introduced by it, Amin Fahim said: “after winning mandate of the people we will have the right to review and amend according to the wishes and aspirations of the people.”

He said whatever laws the regime had enacted, their objective was to block the way of the PPP and Ms Bhutto. In this context he particularly mentioned the amendments introduced on Aug 2.

He urged the rulers to understand that transparent, free and fair elections were the need of the hour because, he added, the country was passing through a very critical juncture.

Amin Fahim said despite years of repressive policies adopted by the rulers against the PPP, it had chosen the course for restoration of democracy and protection of people’s sovereignty.

He said in view of external threats and precarious security environment on our eastern and western borders, depressing economic situation, proliferation of sectarianisms amid deteriorating law and order situation, it was necessary to address these problems urgently through national reconciliation and by respecting people’s will.

He did not rule out the possibility of seat adjustments and said this was part of electioneering but emphasised that his party would contest on its own agenda.

Asked whether at any stage Gen Musharraf had offered him a lucrative post if he quit the PPP, Makhdoom Amin Fahim instead of saying a categorical no said “I cannot leave the party.”

PPP acting secretary general Raza Rabbani said his party was not prepared to empower any individual or institution to dictate as to who should contest the elections and who should not. In the past too, despite state repression against the party, it had never left the path of democratic struggle.

Doubting the assurances of free, fair and transparent elections, Mian Raza Rabbani said the voters’ list, delimitation of constituencies and selective application of NAB laws and measures taken by Gen Musharraf during referendum amounted to pre-poll rigging. He pointed out that during referendum campaign Gen Musharraf had declared that those parties which supported him would emerge victorious in the general elections.

As part of this policy, he alleged, the National Alliance and the SDA were propped up to block the way of the PPP.

He also referred to discrimination against Sindh and referred to the appointment of what he termed as politically motivated ministers in the provincial cabinet. Three ministers, he said, did not even fulfil the graduation requirement and one of them was bank loan defaulter. He repeated his concern over the Governor Houses being used for electioneering of the king’s party.

Rejecting the Benazir-specific laws he termed the Legal Framework Order as ultra vires and in confrontation with the constitution.

He said the LFO is neither federal parliamentary nor democratic. It is an attempt to protect democracy trough a facade of democracy.

He was of the view that in view of undemocratic measures being adopted by the regime, political instability would increase if elections were not free, fair and transparent. There is bound to be a conflict between the parliament.