PPP, PMLN mull presidential election before Senate polls

ISLAMABAD: The PPP and PMLN are considering a proposal to hold the presidential election before March 9, before the upcoming Senate elections, as per Article 41(5) of the constitution.

According to Article 41(5), “...an election to fill a vacancy in the office of president shall be held not later than thirty days from the occurrence of the vacancy: Provided that, if the election cannot be held within the period aforesaid because the National Assembly is dissolved, it shall be held within thirty days of the general elections to the Assembly.”

According to sources, serious consideration is being given to this proposal regarding the election of the president as all the elected assemblies -- National Assembly and provincial assemblies -- will take oath by February 29 and government formation will be completed by March 2.

Sources say the PMLN, PPP, and their allied parties want the presidential election to be held by March 8 before the completion of the current tenure of the Senate and for the Senate elections to be held after the president is elected.

In a breakthrough meeting last Tuesday, the PMLN and PPP announced that they had agreed on Asif Ali Zardari as president and Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister of Pakistan.

When contacted, lawyer and PPP senator Farooq H Naek said that as per Article 41 of the constitution, read with the second schedule of the constitution, the presidential election is to be held within 30 days of the general elections.

“This means that the presidential election is to be held before March 9”, he said.