LAHORE, Sept 24: PPP Secretary-General Raza Rabbani sees no possibility of the restoration of democracy as a result of the Oct 10 elections and thinks that democratic forces will have to struggle anew to have a representative system in the country.

The modalities and the timing of the new phase of struggle would be decided in the light of the objective conditions, he said while replying to a question at a news conference at the office of provincial information secretary Naveed Chaudhry on Tuesday.

The PPP leader said his party would press for the complete transfer of power, not sharing of power.

Answering a question, Mr Rabbani said his party was not opposed to the armed forces as an institution since only a group of people was responsible for taking wrong decisions. The role of the armed forces, he said, had been very clearly defined in the 1973 Constitution and the PPP was committed to adhering to the same. He ignored the provisions of the Legal Framework Order dealing with the subject.

In response to another question, the PPP leader said only party would be in a position to steer the country single-handedly out of the crises facing it at present. Thus, he said, there was a need for a broad-based national consensus after the elections.

Questioning the political, legal and moral justification of the key decisions being taken by the regime now when the elections were only two weeks away, the PPP leader said his party, if voted to power, would review them all.

They included the new NFC Award, labour policy, retrenchments from various departments.

He alleged that the regime was taking decisions of far-reaching consequences to leave no room for the incoming parliament to work independently. The new legislature, he said, would be left with no option but to adhere to the decisions already taken.

He was furious over the president’s reported remarks that in case the incoming parliament touched the package of constitutional amendments given by him, it would be heading for a conflict with the head of state and the national security council. —Staff Reporter