PPP, PML-N mulling legislation to trim assemblies’ tenure

ISLAMABAD – The ruling PPP and the PML-N are mulling a proposal to move a joint legislation to trim the term of national and provincial assemblies from five years to four years – a situation that suites both the parties ruling in the centre and the Punjab.
A source confided to Pakistan Today on Saturday that the ruling PPP wanted to secure its majority in the Upper House in the upcoming Senate elections. The source said once the PPP and PML-N had a thorough discussion on the proposal and evolved a consensus, other stakeholders including the ANP, the MQM and other smaller parties would also be taken into confidence over the plan.
“The top leadership of both the parties is on the same page over the proposal and this is the reason that the temperature in the Punjab and National assemblies has dropped. Despite the hike in petroleum prices, there is no rumpus in either House. Moreover, under same understanding, the PML-N did not create any problem during the presidential address to the joint session of parliament last month,” the source said.
He said the PPP wanted any such legislation after the Senate elections due in March 2012 to clinch the majority in the Upper House. “This would be a historic achievement as the ruling party has never secured majority in the Senate since the 70s. So the PPP leadership wants no destabilisation before the Senate elections.”
“But soon after the Senate elections, early general elections would suit the PPP as well as the PML-N as both the ruling parties are loosing public support with each day passing and the opposition parties, minnow political outfits and politico-religious parties are getting a new life due to the rising inflation, skyrocketing prices, poor management of state affairs and corruption in the Centre and the provinces,” the source said.
He said PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif had been demanding midterm elections while the government’s top leadership had been reiterating resolve that the government would complete its term. “But if the term of assemblies is trimmed to four years, the demands of both the parties would be met as the assemblies would complete their four-year term after the legislation while the PML-N and other political parties would be able to have their snap polls bid by seeking a fresh mandate sooner than later,” the source said.
He said no constitution provision allowed any individual to dissolve the National or provincial assemblies, adding, rather under the constitution, the prime minister and all the chief ministers could dissolve their respective assemblies for a fresh election. “In such a scenario, all stakeholders would have to be on the same page for early polls which looks difficult for the time being. So the political parties would have to bring joint legislation to trim the assemblies’ tenure to achieve the objective,” the source said.
He said that the proposal would suit all the ruling parties either in the provinces or in the Centre. When contacted, president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said there was no such proposal under consideration at the Presidency. “Yes, this is a possibility and the newly-formed PPP manifesto committee may ponder such a proposal besides other proposals,” he added.
Asked whether the president made a top-level contact with the PML-N chief over the proposal, Babar said hypothetically it was true that such a proposal suited both the major political parties. “It is true that in case the tenure of any government is longer, the more the opposition gets temptation of destabilising the government. But let me tell you that I have no knowledge of any such meeting held between the PPP and the PML-N. Yet, there is a possibility of any such proposal at some party level to which I am not privy to,” he added.
PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal said the PPP could be mulling any such proposal but his party had not been contacted yet. “Frankly speaking, my party does not believe in President Asif Zardari and that’s why it would be least interested in such a proposal,” he said. Asked whether there was a possibility that the PML-N leadership had been contacted over the proposal, Iqbal said he was not privy to any such contact.