LAHORE, Nov 1: No legislator elected on a Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) party ticket would take oath under the Legal Framework Order that radically changed the unanimous 1973 Constitution, Qazi Hussain Ahmad told a Press conference on Friday.

“We will take oath after the restoration of the constitution as it stood on Oct 12, 1999,” the MMA leader said, making it clear that the six-party alliance was opposed to the unilateral changes being brought about in the constitution through the LFO.

“We are opposed to the unilateral changes to the constitution. The 1973 constitution is a non-controversial document. We urge the government to desist from creating controversy around it. The changes (proposed by the regime) in it are against the very spirit of the federal parliamentary system of government. If he (the president) wishes them to be incorporated in the unanimous document, he must seek approval of the two-thirds majority of parliament,” he said.

Asked why did the MMA participate in the general elections held under the LFO if the alliance was so much opposed to it, he said: “All political parties and people took part in the polls because they wanted to find a way out of the existing quagmire. There was no other way out.”

Replying to a question, Qazi said Chaudhry Shujaat was yet to contact the MMA leadership to report on any development on his parleys with the government. The PML-Q parliamentary party leader had offered the MMA and other participants of the All Parliamentary Parties Conference early this week to work as a “bridge” between them and the government to find a way out of deadlock on the LFO issue.

In reply to a question, he said the MMA would see how far could it move back on its stand over the LFO and other issues for the smooth transfer of power to the elected government once the house was convened.

Qazi also stated that the MMA was opposed to discretionary powers of the president (to dismiss the government and parliament) and the formation of the National Security Council as proposed in the LFO. “The parliament is supreme and we will not compromise on its sovereignty,” he declared.

NA SESSION: The MMA leader urged the government to convene the first session of the National Assembly without further delay in order to avoid complications and head off the political crisis. He rejected as “nonsense” the government’s call that the politicians must complete the process of government formation before the NA session is convened.

“Summon the session and transfer power to the party or alliance which establishes its majority in the house. It is a unanimous demand of all parties. There is no excuse to further delay the summoning of the house. Gen Pervez Musharraf’s three-year term (allowed by the Supreme Court) has already ended. He has done his best to ensure the victory of the King’s Party. Now the people have given their verdict in the election and the General should submit to their will,” he insisted.

The All Parliamentary Parties Conference called by the MMA and attended by almost all the parties, including the PML-Q and the PPP, having representation on the yet-to-be-convened house had also called for the convening of the NA session without any loss of time. Qazi said everybody, every party was repeatedly holding out an assurance that they would not create a deadlock in the assembly.

“We won’t refuse to take oath or stage a walkout or declare the president unconstitutional because it will lead to a deadlock. We are opposed to the LFO and do not accept the referendum held by Gen Pervez Musharraf (to stay in his office for a five-year term). But we will chose the path that would lead the nation out of the existing crisis without compromising or giving up our stance on these (constitutional) issues. If Gen Musharraf wants to stay in presidency, he should seek a vote in parliament. But first he must convene the assembly session to allow the smooth transfer of power to the elected government by letting the house elect its speaker and then prime minister.”

“We are prepared to cooperate with other political parties — the PML-Q or the PPP — that will endorse our candidates for the two offices, support our stand on the issues of national sovereignty and supremacy of parliament and the 1973 Constitution (as it stood before the military takeover),” he said.