by Qaiser Felix

The Election Commission confirmed yesterday that 71 nomination papers were filed. Candidates include current President Musharraf, Wajihuddin Ahmed and People’s Party’s Makhdoom Amin Fahim. Opposition tries to scuttle Musharraf’s re-election bid by causing mass resignation in provincial legislatures.

Islamabad (AsiaNews) – Pakistan’s Election Commission yesterday officially confirmed that a total of 71 nomination papers were filed by 43 candidates for the October 6 presidential elections. Current President Pervez Musharraf, retired Judge Wajihuddin Ahmed and Makhdoom Amin Fahim, a Pakistani People’s Party (PPP) leader, are among them.

The All Parties Democratic Movement or APDM (alliance of opposition political parties except the PPP) announced that it intends to provoke the resignation of all APDM Members in the National Assembly and the Provincial Assemblies to block General Musharraf’s re-election bid. This would paralyze the Electoral College that chooses the president.

The combined opposition in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) Assembly announced that it would resist its dissolution, including by going to court.

“These resignations are aimed at sabotaging the presidential election,” Sher Afgan Niazi, federal minister for Parliamentary Affairs. “However, the presidential election is not going to be affected.”

For Minister Niazi even if all four provincial assemblies are dissolved with the National Assembly intact, the election of the president will remain legally valid.

• pakistan
• presidential
• election
• musharraf
• wajijudding
• ahmed
• makhddom
• amin
• fahim
• all
• parties
• democratic
• movement
• election
• commission
• October
• 6