ISLAMABAD: According to The News, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are considering holding the presidential election before March 9, before of the scheduled Senate elections, as per Article 41(5) of the Constitution.
According to Article 41(5) of the Constitution, “…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 insiders, the suggestion is being seriously considered as the newly elected assembly around the country will take oath by February 29 and a new government be in place by March 2.
According to sources, the PML-N, PPP, and their allies want the presidential election to be held by March 8, before the Senate’s current term expires, and the Senate elections to take place after the president is elected.
When contacted, PPP senior leader Senator Farooq H Naek stated that according to Article 41, read with the second schedule of the constitution, the presidential election must be held within 30 days following the general elections.
“This means that the presidential election is to be held before March 9” , he added.
Incumbent President Dr. Arif Alvi’s five-year term officially ended in September of last year, yet the dentist-turned-politician continues to stay in office long after the expiration of his stated constitutional
President Alvi agreed to perform his duties until his successor was appointed, as the assemblies were dissolved in August and elections were not held within the constitutional time limit.
Article 44 of the Constitution expressly says that in the absence of the National and Provincial assemblies, the president cannot be dismissed notwithstanding the end of his term, unless he chooses to quit the coveted office voluntarily or goes home on his own initiative.
PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari will likely return to the presidency, as earlier this week the Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari-led party and PML-N agreed to nominate him for the constitutional post as a joint candidate in exchange for assisting Shehbaz Sharif in forming the government at the Centre under a power-sharing agreement.
The power-sharing deal was finalised after no political party secured a simple majority in the February 8 elections, forcing parties to join hands in their bid to come into power, but the delay of an agreement had raised eyebrows.
After the Feb 8 polls, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independent candidates secured victory on the most National Assembly seats (92) followed by the PML-N (79) and the PPP (54).
