Musharraf should obtain fresh vote of confidence: PM

Sunday, August 10, 2008
BEIJING: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday asked President Pervez Musharraf not to prolong his stay in office and suggested that he should obtain a fresh vote of confidence from parliament or else he would be impeached.

The prime minister is in Beijing. He attended the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

Talking to journalists here, the premier said the people had voted in the February 18 general election for a ‘clear-cut’ change and for putting the country on the track of true democracy. “The people will soon get good news about the dawn of democracy in the country,” Gilani said. “Musharraf is required to obtain a fresh vote of confidence from parliament. Otherwise, parliament, being a sovereign and independent body, has the option to exercise the right to impeach him.”

Gilani further said: “Parliament is sovereign and has the authority to take major decisions, including impeachment of the president.”

Gilani said he had been working with the president according to the requirements of the Constitution, and he did not feel it was appropriate that Musharraf should prolong his stay in office against the wishes of the people.

The session of the lower house of parliament – National Assembly – has been summoned on August 11, while the Senate is already in session. The PPP-led government will move an impeachment motion against Musharraf in parliament but prior to this, the four provincial assemblies will pass resolutions demanding that Musharraf should immediately seek a vote of confidence from parliament in line with a commitment he had made to the Supreme Court last year.




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