ISLAMABAD, 13 February — The government intends to introduce some significant changes in the constitution, which will envisage restoration of a scrapped presidential power to appoint the prime minister. With several similar constitutional amendments in the offing, there is a growing thinking in different political parties to make “adjustments” for contesting elections, as the president would not like to see any detractor to occupy by default or by design the most important offices of the prime minister or chairman of the Senate.
Many political leaders are convinced that no person, who is at loggerheads with the president, would be able to occupy either of the two offices. “I think the president would appoint the prime minister — a provision which was in place before March 20, 1990,” said a top Pakistan Muslim League (PML) leader.
The second most important office in the new parliamentary setup would be the office of the chairman of the Senate, as under the existing provisions of the constitution the Senate chairman would be the acting president in absence of the president by reason of his visit abroad or for any other reason. Significantly, these are two offices — the prime minister and chairman of the Senate — which would be of special significant to the president, who would not like to see any detractor to occupy either of the two.
The government is also set to announce another set of electoral reforms to further clarify the situation regarding the election of women and technocrats as members of the federal and provincial legislatures, an official said here yesterday. “Shortly, new electoral reforms will be announced. A decision regarding the reservation of seats in the Senate for technocrats and women will be taken after President Pervez Musharraf returns from his visit to the United States,” said an official of the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB), who wanted not to be identified.
The official said that recommendations regarding the reservation of seats for technocrats and women in the Senate, upper house of the country’s bicameral parliament, are being drafted and another set of electoral reforms to be finalized by the next week. “For example, for election to the legislatures, it will be mandatory for the technocrats and women that they hold ticket of a political party,” the official informed.
“Then, the political parties will be asked to submit lists of their candidates for election to the seats reserved for women and technocrats,” he added. If a party wins half of the seats of an assembly, the first half of the women and technocrats on its list would be declared elected.
The state of emergency will remain in vogue until a package of constitutional amendments is approved by the new parliament to be elected in October this year. Official sources said the NRB is currently preparing the package of the proposed constitutional reforms. A comprehensive constitutional amendment package for indemnity to the amendments in all the federal and provincial laws as well as military takeover of Oct. 12, 1999, is being prepared by the local and foreign experts,” said NRB official.
