Adil Najam
The news, although not surprising, is still too fresh and without enough details to make a full commentary on. But it is worth getting a discussion on. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has finally made up its mind on who its nominee for Prime Minister will be. And the winner is Yousuf Raza Gillani.
According to The News:
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Saturday named Yousuf Raza Gillani as its nominee for Prime Minister. Co-Chairman of PPP Asif Ali Zardari announced the name of Yousuf Raza Gillani as the PM candidate in a statement read out by the spokesman of PPP Farhatullah Babar. The name of the candidate for the prime ministerial job was finalized by the Pakistan People’s Party after due consultations with the democratic parties and coalition partners, said the statement.
Asif Ali Zardari thanked Makhdoom Yousuf Raza Gillani for assuming the great responsibility of becoming the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and wished him success in discharging his duties with responsiblity. Country’s new prime minister will take oath of his office Tuesday morning - March 25 - at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, under the 1973 Constitution. The President has already summoned the National Assembly to meet on Monday at 1600 hrs to elect the new leader of the house.The session has been summoned for ascertainment of the member who commands the confidence of the majority of members of National Assembly, under Article 91 (2A) of the Constitution. The Speaker National Assembly will intimate the President in writing the result and a notification will be published in the Gazette. The protocol wing of the Presidency is finalising the lists of invitees who will attend the ceremony.
These will include the four governors, President, PM of Azad Jammu Kashmir, the Chief Justice, Attorney General, the services chiefs, leaders of political parties, ambassadors, senior officials and notables. The oath taking ceremony will begin with the recitation from the Holy Quran and the new Prime Minister will be invited to take oath of office as provided in the Third Schedule, under the 1973 Constitution. President Musharraf will administer oath to the new Prime Minister, who, under the constitution has to obtain a vote of confidence from the National Assembly within a period of 60 days.
Makhdoom Amin Fahim still remains, technically, the President of the party and in the immediate aftermath of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination he was supposed to be the front-runner for the post if the PPP won. Things, however, have reportedly become tense between him since then. Always a loyalist, his initial reaction is, again, of loyalty more than of defiance. However, note that he was not consulted for the decision. Given his post as Party President, that is troubling, to say the least. According to The News:
President Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians, Makhdoom Amin Fahim Saturday said the offices hold no importance to him. Talking to Geo News after nomination of Makhdoom Yusuf Raza Gillani as PPP’s candidate for the post of Prime Minister, he said he was not consulted by the party for nominating the candidate for PM’s post. However, he said: “It is the decision of the party leadership,” adding “PPP is my party and I do not want to see it get damaged at any cost.” It is a party of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. Amin Fahim said as far as these offices are concerned, I have no desire for them. Yusuf Raza Gillani is my friend, he added. To a question whether he was consulted by the party in connection with the nomination of candidate for PM’s post, he said he was not consulted for nominating Yusuf Raza Gillani. “I am no quitting the party,” he said adding it is party of poor and suppressed people. “It is the decision of the party and I accept it whole-heartedly,” Amin Fahim said.
It is now clear, but to no surprise, that the once presumptive PM, Makhdoom Amin Fahim has been side-stepped. But does this also mean that Yousuf Raza Gillani is going to be a “seat-warmer” Prime Minister for an eventual Prime Minister Asif Ali Zardari? That may or may not be so, but most political observers believe it is more likely that it will be so than not. Also not clear is what, and whether any, effect this will have within the political ranks of the PPP itself.
If nothing else, this means that Pakistan politics will remain ‘interesting’ for quite some time. Sometimes I wish our politics was just a little less interesting than it is!
So that he could put himself in Pakistani prime minister’s office by getting elected within a few months round about 100 days
but Mr Asif zardari is not a bachelor’ degree but he passed the rule in parliamentary by-election while abiding by the Musharraf-introduced requirement that all parliamentary candidates must have a bachelor’s degree, Mr. Zardari has sent this morning a check for 1,000 Pakistani rupees to the renowned BU of Pakistan –Bogus University of Pakistan– for receiving a mail-in B.C.P. –Bachelor of Corrupt Politics– diploma.
my thinking is that all lawyers wasting your time , nations ,media and all over the people of pakistan
there is no solid system in pakistan when Musharif was Chief of army staff and President of Pakistan than all the decisions make in Awan sadar
But now a days all decision in parliments,Mr Asif Zardi is not BA ,but decision is pass all people appear in Zamni election 2008
Reportedly Asif Zardari has said that Gillani will be PM for full 5 years. If he lives by that word I will be most impressed by Zardari and will drop all my current concerns about him. Lets see if he keeps his word.
Zardari has been doing well so far but for his hob-nobing with the MQM. I am afraid MQM will prove to be a Trojan Horse of Musharraf and spell doom for the PPP.
Pakistani politics reminds me of a play “Phantom of the opera”.
May be not exactly, but what I am trying to say is that if its one side is acceptable, the other side is ugly.
President Musharaf (emergency) MQM (12th may) Mr Zardari (10%)
Lawyers ( time wasting movements)
Aitazaz Ahsan (Same wrong focus)
Nawaz Sharif ( personal grieviences and carries too many reservations against President Musharaf)
PML (Q) Landlords and self serving
Imran Khan (Negative politics and always angry)
Religious parties (Too backward)
I dont know what pushes them to go ugly.
But lets not focus too much on their uglliness
Hopefully we will never see the ugly side of Mr Gilani.
News:
After his wife’s death in December, Mr. Zardari returned to Pakistan from his home in Manhattan to take control of the Pakistani Peoples Party, leading it to victory in the elections last month. But he did not run for a parliamentary seat himself because he missed the deadline. He also lacks a bachelor’s degree, a requirement introduced by the Musharraf government for parliamentary candidates.
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Breaking News:
So that he could put himself in Pakistani prime minister’s office by getting elected within a few months in some parliamentary by-election while abiding by the Musharraf-introduced requirement that all parliamentary candidates must have a bachelor’s degree, Mr. Zardari has sent this morning a check for 1,000 Pakistani rupees to the renowned BU of Pakistan –Bogus University of Pakistan– for receiving a mail-in B.C.P. –Bachelor of Corrupt Politics– diploma.
I suggest we give the new PM a chance or what we call a honeymoon in USA for 100 days. I was very pessimistic about Mr. 10 percent. However, he has shown leadership and vision in the last one month by negotiating with diverse parties and agendas of PML (N), MQM, ANP. It is not easy. He has restrained himself by not going after the dictator. The ordinary Pakistani wants security, electricity, and reduction in inflation. Perhaps Mr. Zardari and Gillani’s years of imprsionment have shaped and changed their outlook about life.