Fahim says CEC should decide PM candidate
By Ashraf Mumtaz
LAHORE, March 10: Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim says that a decision about who should be the partys candidate for the office of prime minister should be taken by the partys central executive committee, rather than by any other organisation.
Talking to Dawn on Monday, he said he had not withdrawn his candidacy, despite the fact that some other party leaders were also vying for the job.
He pointed out that other parties had given their parliamentary leaders a lead role, which was a good precedent for all parties to follow.
Although he did not say in so many words, he obviously meant that he wanted the PPP to give him the same role which other parties had given to their parliamentary leaders.
When his attention was drawn to reports that Mr Asif Ali Zardari could eventually himself become the prime minister after a few months, Mr Fahim said if the PPP co-chairman had such a plan he should make it public.
He reiterated that he was the president of the party (PPP Parliamentarians) that had won the Feb 18 elections and thus had a stronger claim to the office of the prime minister.
Replying to a question, he said he would ask Mr Zardari to take a stern action against the party leader who had failed to deliver him (Mr Fahim) the invitation for Sundays meeting between the PPP and the PML-N leaders in Murree. He said the man who had told Mr Zardari that he (Mr Fahim) was busy and could not attend the meeting should be proceeded against for making a misstatement.
He said everybody should bear in mind that he was the president of the countrys biggest party which had won the polls and he was not a guest player.
About the decisions taken at the Murree meeting, he said that only time would tell to what extent they were correct. He said the partys constitutional experts would see whether the deposed judges could be reinstated through a resolution of the National Assembly.
Mr Fahim said that reports about his alleged contacts with PML-Q were baseless as he had made no contact with anyone.
Talking to a private TV channel, he said: Operation Goodnight Plan was only a story and he had never been in contact with PML-Q for formation of the government to become prime minister.
I totally reject such reports. Those who know about these reports could interpret it better, he said.
Mr Fahim said he had been offered prime ministers slot several times but he had refused such offers all together.
In reply to a question about supporting a candidate nominated by the party, the PPP leader said it would be decided after the announcement of the name.
Fahim says CEC should decide PM candidate -DAWN - Top Stories; March 11, 2008