ISLAMABAD Dec 1: Acting President Muhammadmian Soomro on Wednesday strongly defended his signing of the dual-office bill that allows President Musharraf to keep the office of the army chief beyond December 31, 2004 , and said that by doing so he had performed his constitutional obligation.

The combined opposition had condemned the bill in both houses of parliament and announced launching of a country-wide movement against it. The bill, passed by the two houses of parliament, was kept pending for quite some time to ensure that it is signed by the acting president rather than by President Musharraf himself. The president is on a visit to Latin American countries.

Talking to newsmen after speaking as chief guest at the concluding ceremony of the Asia/Pacific Women, Girls and HIV/Aids Best Practices Conference, the acting president said that he had not committed any violation of the constitution by signing the bill.

He said the bill had constitutionally been passed and it had now become a law. Mr Soomro criticized the opposition for raising what he called undue hue and cry over the passage of the bill. He said the country was being run under a democratic dispensation and efforts were under way to strengthen democratic institutions.