Islamabad, 21 February 2007: PPP Senator Sardar Latif Khosa has issued the following statement today.

 

“A section of the press has reported that I hold views at variance with that of the Party and its Chairperson Mohtarma Bhutto with respect to the term of the office of General Musharraf as President and his bid to seek re-election from the same assemblies.

 

“I have not given any press interview on the subject and the reports of my views being different from that of the Party are not correct.

 

“Any attempt to force the re-election of General Musharraf, a man in uniform and ineligible to contest elections as president from the same assemblies would be illegal and unconstitutional and opposed by the PPP and other alliance parties in the ARD.

 

“The unconstitutional bid would only spark a protest movement and result in political instability at a time when the country needed security.

 

“It may be recalled that after the general election held in October 2002 General Musharraf held a vote of confidence on December 31, 2003 from the present assemblies.

 

“As the term of president is for five years, the re-election of the president of Pakistan will occur on December 31, 2008 whereas the term of the new assemblies will begin latest by February 2008 if assemblies are dissolved by their last date in November 2007..

 

“One assembly can elect one president once although it can elect another person president if the office of president falls vacant through resignation or through death.

 

“Any attempt to elect the same person president from the same assembly would be to deny the people of Pakistan the right to hold that person accountable in the court of the people as envisaged by the Constitution.

 

“There is also the issue of General Musharraf holding the offices of both army chief and president whereas the constitution does not allow a person who holds an office of profit to contest the presidency until two years are over.

“General Musharraf, would be best advised to reject the advice of a group self-seekers in the ruling coalition of the PML Q.

 

“It is the job of the Election Commission and not the Cabinet to determine when the office of President fell vacant or when its term expired and to call a presidential election.

 

“We are not concerned with when General Musharaf took his oath of office. We are concerned with his re-election as notified by the Election Commission of Pakistan, which is constitutionally mandated to hold the elections and issue notifications regarding the results.

 

“It is hoped that the Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commission would resist any attempt to be pressured by the present military regime into calling illegal presidential elections when the term of the president had not expired”.