Mush to be re-elected as Prez: aide

Islamabad: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has decided to get re-elected in uniform for yet another five-year term by the present National and four Provincial Assemblies in September-October 2007 before these would be dissolved to pave the way for general elections.

"We are left with no option but to fix a date for the presidential election between September 13 to October 12," one of the "most trusted confidantes of the President" was today quoted as saying by The News daily.

The aide who was not named has justified Musharraf's re-election by the same assemblies on the grounds that his term would be completed on November 12, 2007.

"This is why we have to elect the President for the next five-year term before the expiry of the term of the assembly, as the presidential election has to be conducted in accordance with the Constitution," said the aide.

While there could be moral and political objections, there is no provision in any law, statute or the Constitution, which bars the same assemblies to elect a President for a second term, he said.

"I admit that Musharraf became the President (in 2002) under extraordinary circumstances or by holding a democratic referendum and passage of a resolution, but the next presidential election will be held in accordance with the law, and the Constitution," the aide said.

"The presidential election has to be held before November 12 in view of the Constitutional provision," he said adding that a "firm decision" was taken some time back that the present assemblies (the Senate, the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies) will form the electoral college.

"We have secured legal and constitutional opinion of all the concerned people and top constitutional experts and there is no ambiguity in this context," he said.

The government has already completed the entire exercise with a careful analysis of the legal provisions and the existing political scenario. By going for re-election of the same elected assemblies, Musharraf would become the first President of Pakistan to get elected twice by the assemblies, he said.

Coinciding with the remarks of Musharraf's aide, Chief Minister of Punjab province Pervaiz Elahi, who headed the military-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Q government, said Musharraf will be elected as "President in uniform again and again" as his Presidency has become a "symbol of stability, prosperity and national dignity".

Elahi, brother of PML-Q President Shujaat Hussain, said in a public meeting at Talagang yesterday that sincere efforts made by the government under the leadership and development strategy of Musharraf have started yielding highly encouraging results, The Nation reported.