Pakistan Presidential Elections 2008

[ejaz007]

Nomination papers for presidential polls filed
Updated at: 1240 PST, Tuesday, August 26, 2008


ISLAMABAD: The candidates of Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League (N) and other parties have filed their nomination papers for presidential bid on Tuesday.

Federal Law Minister Farooq Naek has submitted the nomination papers of Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Zardari to Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Muhamad Farooq.

Federal Information Minister Sherry Rehman, ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali, Minster for Water and Power Pervez Ashraf, Minister for Labour and Manpower Syed Khurshid Shah, Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar, Senator Baber Awan, Senator Raza Rabbani, advisor to prime minister Manzoor Watto, Rehmatullah Kakar and others were also present at this occasion.

Peoples Party has submitted Faryal Talpur’s nomination papers as covering candidate. A larger number of Peoples Party workers were gathered outside Election Commission, chanted slogans in favour of Asif Zardari.

PML-N has submitted nomination for former chief justice of Pakistan Justice Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Iqbal Zafar Jaghra, Javed Hashmi and other party leaders were present in Election Commission.

PML-N supporters gathered outside Election Commission chanted slogans. Roedad Khan submitted nomination papers as covering candidate of PML-N.

PML-Q has submitted nomination papers of Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed for presidential bid. Opposition leader in National Assembly Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and other leaders accompanied him.

Scrutiny would be held till August 28 whereas candidates could withdraw papers till August 30.

The final list would be issued on August 30. Returning officer of presidential election chief election commissioner is receiving nomination papers.

Nomination papers for presidential polls filed

 

[Skywalker]

Another proff , as from where Zardari is getting dicstations from and a killing fact is the advisor is an Afghani. God Bless Pakiastan:

WASHINGTON: US ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad has reportedly been pulled up by US State Department officials for unauthorized establishing contacts with PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

A senior US official is to be believed, Khalilzad talked to Zardari over phone several times a week for the past month until he was confronted about the unauthorized contacts, a US daily reported.

Khalilzad had been advised to stop speaking freely to Zardari, and that it was not clear whether he would face any disciplinary action, added the official.

According to other officials, he also had plans to meet Zardari during a vacation in Dubai, but that was cancelled after US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard A. Boucher learnt about the move from none other than Zardari himself.

Then, Boucher is learnt to have sent a personal email to Khalizad telling him that his conduct was unanthorised. Can I ask what sort of 'advice and help' you are providing? Boucher wrote in an angry e-mail message to Khalilzad. What sort of channel is this? Governmental, private, personnel? the daily quoted Boucher as telling the US envoy at the UN in the email.

The copies of the message were sent to others at the highest levels of the State Department, added the paper.
US envoy to UN accused of having unauthorized contacts with Zardari

 

[fatman17]

zalmay khalilzad is an staunch enemy of pakistan!

 

[ejaz007]

Zardari, 66 others file nomination papers

ISLAMABAD: Sixty-seven candidates, including PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari filed nomination papers on Tuesday for the presidential election scheduled for September 6. Thirty-five nomination papers were filed for 10 candidates in Islamabad. Seventeen nominations were filed in Sindh by or on behalf of eight candidates. In the NWFP, one candidate filed his nomination papers. Fourteen candidates filed their papers in Lahore. staff report

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[ejaz007]

Papers of major presidential candidates cleared

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Election Commissioner has accepted the nomination papers of Asif Ali Zardari, Justice Saeeduzaman Siddiqui and Mushahid Hussain after scrutiny here on Thursday.

Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Muhammad Farooq has scrutinized the papers on which no objection has been filed from any side.

Thirty-two candidates had submitted their nomination papers for presidential polls. The candidates would withdraw nominations till Saturday whereas final list would also be issued on the same day.

The presidential poll will be held on September 6.

Qazi Farooq has rejected the papers of 27 candidates because there was no proposer and seconded. Peoples Party and PML-N could not raise objection on each other’s candidate.

The nomination papers of covering candidate of Asif Zardari’s covering candidate Faryal Talpur and PML-N covering candidate Roeadad Khan have also accepted.

Papers of major presidential candidates cleared

 

[ejaz007]

Presidential campaign
Friday, August 29, 2008
No one ready to withdraw
By Asim Yasin

ISLAMABAD: As the presidential election entered the second phase, the political manoeuvring to win the support of allies and rivals has gathered pace.

The PPP has contacted the PML-N and the PML-Q while the PML-N has indirectly contacted the Q-League through its presidential candidate. Asif Ali Zardari formally made a telephonic contact with Nawaz Sharif, his first since the PML-N pulled out of the ruling coalition, to get his party’s support. But Sharif refused to oblige.

The PML-Q, which was being described as a political non-entity till a few weeks back, has suddenly gained importance for the two major parties and both the PPP and the PML-N are trying to court its support for their presidential candidates.

Asif Ali Zardari sent Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Syed Khursheed Shah and Adviser to the PM on Industries Manzoor Wattoo to the Punjab House and in the course of the meeting Zardari made a telephonic contact with Nawaz Sharif and offered him to rejoin the coalition. He also requested him to withdraw Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui from the presidential election. “But Nawaz Sharif said that we have drifted too far apart and that the PML-N stood firm on its demand for the restoration of the deposed judges,” sources said.

In another development Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani contacted PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Pervez Elahi to get their support for Asif Ali Zardari.

Sources indicated that the prime minister would meet the Chaudhry brothers in Lahore today (Friday) and they were hopeful of ‘positive outcome’ of the meeting that would take place at the State Guest House.

The PML-N too has indirectly contacted Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain through its presidential candidate Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui but he did not give any positive response to him.Sources said Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain clearly told Justice (Retd) Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui that they would not withdraw their candidate in favour of any other candidate.

Meanwhile, talking to newsmen at the PML-Q Central Secretariat, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain confirmed that the PML-N’s presidential candidate had contacted him for PML-Q’s support in the upcoming presidential polls.

However, he said the PML-Q will not withdraw its candidate and will contest the election.In reply to a question, Shujaat did not rule out the possibility of ‘positive outcome’ of the indirect contacts between the two factions of the Muslim League but insisted that the leadership of the PML-N should contact his party. However, he said the PML-Q would maintain its identity.

The PML-Q chief said he saw no harm in party-to-party contacts and termed it a normal phenomenon in the world of politics.The PML-Q’s presidential candidate Mushahid Hussain Sayed who was also present on the occasion said the PPP’s Co-chairman is still facing charges of laundering $60 million which, he said, make his (Asif Zardari’s) candidature questionable. “I challenge both the presidential candidates for a live debate on the policies for the people of Pakistan,” he added.

Mushahid wondered how they could fulfill promises made to the nation if they did not keep pledges to each other. “Our party is the party of the people, youth and the middle class and represents the feelings of the people of the country. Our party is the party of the founder of Pakistan,” the PML-Q secretary general said.

Meanwhile, talking to newsmen, PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal confirmed that Mian Nawaz Sharif had refused to rejoin the ruling coalition. “It has been conveyed to the PPP co-chairman that the PML-N will not withdraw its presidential candidate,” he added.

In reply to question a he said the PML-N had joined the government in order to seek restoration of the deposed judges to the pre-November 03, 2007 position, impeachment and ousting of the dictator and repealing of 17th amendment which was meant only to facilitate the dictator and a typical ‘individual specific’ articulation.

He said the PML-N, after pulling out of the coalition, would keep playing constructive role sitting on the opposition benches. “The focus of our politics is our resolve to serve the nation in a selfless manner and to promote the politics of principles,” he added.

Presidential campaign

 

[ejaz007]

SC moved to stay presidential election

* Petitioner contends acting president has not taken oath under Third Schedule

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: A petition seeking the suspension of the presidential election has been filed in the Supreme Court on Monday.

The petitioner, Hashmat Habib, filed the petition on the grounds that the president’s electoral college is incomplete. The chief election commissioner had earlier rejected his plea for the postponement of the election.

The petitioner pleaded the apex court to suspend the election process until the electoral college was completed under Article 41(3) read with the Second Schedule and Article 50 of the constitution.

Oath: The petitioner contended that under Article 49(1) of the constitution, in the presence of acting President Muhammadmian Soomro, who is also the chairman of Senate, the electoral college for the presidential election was incomplete, rendering the election invalid.

“Admittedly, the Senate chairman has not taken oath of the office of president as provided in the Third Schedule, so he is a stranger to the office of acting president and acting in utter disregard of the Constitution,” the petitioner added. He said that under Article 255(3) of the constitution, the Senate chairman could not be the acting president, as he had not taken the oath for president under the Third Schedule.

He said Article 255(3) requires that all holders of constitutional offices except the attorney general, who is appointed under Article 100, take oath. The petitioner said under Article 255(3), a person was required to take oath before he entered an office, and was deemed to have entered upon the office on the day on which he took the oath.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[ejaz007]

Fata legislators decide to ditch PPP
By Bakhtawar Mian

ISLAMABAD: Parliamentarians from tribal areas have decided not to support PPP candidate Asif Ali Zardari in the presidential election in protest against continuing military action in their region.

All senators and MNAs from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, except those belonging to the JUI-F, decided at a meeting on Thursday not to vote for Mr Zardari in protest against the government’s failure to accept their demand for halting the military operation.

Their parliamentary leader Munir Khan Aurakzai told this reporter that 15 MNAs and Senators were in the group.

He said that in another meeting on Friday the legislators would decide whom to support in the presidential election. “We will, however, not vote for Mr Zardari unless the operation is stopped,” he said.

Mr Aurakzai said the group had informed Mr Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and PM’s Adviser on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik about their grievances. He said that they had assured the group that the operation would be stopped but no practical steps were being taken.

It may be mentioned that the legislators had earlier offered conditional support to the PPP candidate. The government had promised that the military operation would be halted, especially during Ramazan. But the situation has worsened with an attack by US-led forces in South Waziristan on Thursday, leaving 20 people dead.

Fata legislators decide to ditch PPP -DAWN - Top Stories; September 05, 2008

This should give strentgh to PML(N) candidate. If Maulana Fazl ur Rehman quits at this stage than its buy buy to Mr. Zardari's dream of being President.

 

[Munir]

Politics are not unfamiliar with the word dirty. So Zardari will get it cause he is playing his cards with USA. He wil give them ISI, nuclear assets in return for presidency (so no longer corruption cased)... There is nothing more then that. They guy married influencal dumb girl to get upstream and now he will do anything to get on top ov everyone just by being a corrupt thief... This can only happen in Pakistan.

The only thing I can predict that sooner then we think a bullet will be fired that will end someones carrier. The USA is playing a big gamble and it will end cause I doubt that Mc Cain or Obama will the link with Zardari... I am very disappointed with Bush. It reminds me of asking the US to check Irac while they were amnipulating everything in the background. Now they were removing Musharraf and opening telling that they were not taking active standpoint but it was up to the people of Pakistan... Don't tell me that mr10% represents democracy... What a shame.

 

[Goodperson]

Zardari will become President no doubt.

 

[fatman17]

Pakistanis Downbeat About Next President

By Aamir Latif, IOL Correspondent

ISLAMABAD — KARACHI — Pakistanis are preparing to go to ballot boxes on Saturday, September 6, to elect a new leader to replace former president Pervez Musharraf.

Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chairman of slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Justice rtd Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui, a former chief justice of the Supreme Court and nominee of two-time premier Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (N), and Senator Mushahid Hussein, the general secretary of pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League (Q), are running for the presidential office.

However, many Pakistanis don't pin high hopes on the new president.

A recent survey by Gallup Pakistan shows that none of the presidential runners was able to get popular acclaim, with the single largest response saying they wanted a non-party president.

IslamOnline.net