ISLAMABAD, Dec 12: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has fallen apart as an electoral alliance, but remains an ‘ideological coalition’, according to Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed.

Addressing a news conference at his residence here, he said MMA leaders would again come together during the movement against poll rigging.

He appealed to the Election Commission to stop smaller MMA factions from using the election symbol of the alliance.

He said that the APDM would launch a movement from Dec 15 and on that day, its leaders would march to the Election Commission to withdraw their nomination papers in a protest against imposition of the state of emergency and suspension of the Constitution.

The leadership of the APDM, he said, would meet on Dec 18 to chalk out a befitting strategy to take on pro-Musharraf forces.

Mr Ahmed said he would undertake visits and ask everyone not to vote for candidates with the ‘book’ symbol because they did not belong to the MMA.

He claimed that the MMA had unanimously decided in its Nov 27 meeting to boycott elections and only one party, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F), had opposed the decision.He declared that a metting held on Tuesday was not the MMA supreme council and its decisions were illegal.

He said that without restoration of the deposed judges, it would be immoral on the part of the opposition to contest the elections because the judges had rendered sacrifices for the supremacy of law and independence of judiciary.

The present judiciary, he pointed out, was toeing the doctrine of necessity under which judiciary had been allowing dictators the authority to amend constitution.

“If the parties participating in the elections are really bothered about the planned rigging, why should they not boycott the elections? Why are they planning to launch a protest movement after the polls?” Qazi asked.