Sunday, March 9, 2008

ANP-led alliance gets support of 85 MPAs in NWFP

PESHAWAR: A tripartite alliance of the Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has succeeded in mustering the support of 85 MPAs-elect in the NWFP Assembly, leaving the opposition with little chances of fielding their candidates for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker offices.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has notified the official results for 117 seats in the Frontier Assembly, including reserved seats for women and minorities in the 124-member house. Polling on three provincial constituencies had been postponed due to the deaths of candidates prior to the February 18 elections.

Besides the unambiguous support of 85 members, Pakistan People's Party-Sherpao (PPP-S) has also extended its unconditional support to the PPP, while Muttahidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) has yet to decide its future role in the assembly.

The ANP's strength reached to 46 MPAs-elect in the assembly after the inclusion of nine women lawmakers on reserved seats and one minority MPA.

Five independents formally joined the nationalist party while two independents, Malik Hayat from Dir and Mehboob Alam from Kohistan, announced their support to the ANP.

The PPP, which had initially secured 18 general seats, is now enjoying the support of 30 MPAs-elect in the assembly after six independents joined the party, while six on the women reserved seats and one on minority have also been elected to the provincial assembly.

The PML-N enjoys the support of nine members, who would back the ANP-PPP coalition government in the province. Likewise, PPP-S has shown its unconditional support to the PPP in the province. Two independents, Murid Kazim of Dera Ismail Khan and Habibur Rehman Tanoli associated with the PPP-S in the past, would support their party.

After ANP and PPP, the MMA emerged as the third largest party with 14 members in the House.

The tally of independent MPAs has shrunk to six from 22. Pakistan Muslim League-Q, with six MPAs-elect, would have no other option but to sit on the opposition benches in the 117-member assembly.

On November 27, 2002, the combined opposition had proposed the names of Syed Qalb-e-Hasan of the ANP and Nighat Yasmin Aurakzai of the PML-Q for the offices of speaker and deputy speaker, respectively, against the MMA's Bakht Jehan Khan and Ikramullah Shahid.

The ANP, PPP, PPP-S and PML-Q had formed the combined opposition against the religious parties' alliance at that time.

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