LAHORE, Nov 3: Although the general elections are more than a year away, the ruling PML is starting a mass contact campaign during the next few weeks to highlight the achievements of the government over the past four years and its future endeavours.

President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will also take part according to their convenience, additional secretary-general Iqbal Dar said on Friday.

Dar said a series of divisional conventions would be held across the country over the next three months, which would be addressed by top leaders like Shujaat Husain and Syed Mushahid Husain.

The first convention is expected to be held in Multan by the middle of the current month.

Once the series of divisional conventions was over, the provincial organisations would be directed to hold similar programmes at the district level.

A new party manifesto was also being prepared keeping in mind the present-day requirements. He said such plans would be included in the manifesto as could expedite the development process.

Dar believed that the ruling coalition would sweep the elections. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has already announced that the PML would take all its coalition partners along in the new elections. Some other parties supportive of Gen Musharraf’s policies could also be included in the alliance.

According to him, the exclusion of former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif would be helpful for the parties now in power.

President Musharraf had assured the top PML leaders at a recent meeting that both the former prime ministers would not be allowed to take part in the electoral process. He had also declared that he would not make any deal with the PPP, although he would ensure free and fair elections.

The PML leader said his party was also taking various steps to win the support of minority voters. He said top party leaders had taken part in Diwali celebrations and now they would also celebrate Christmas in a big way.