Islamabad, Sep 16 - Pakistan's Election Commission has amended rules governing presidential nominees to pave the way for President Pervez Musharraf's re-election for five more years. A furious opposition Sunday reacted angrily and demanded a new poll panel.'The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) has amended the rules and now President Musharraf is very much eligible to contest for another five-year term,' Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sher Afgan told IANS.The controversial decision, which removes a major hurdle on the path of Musharraf's presidential ambitions, sparked strong condemnation from opposition parties.The All Parties Democratic Alliance (APDM) demanded reconstitution of the Election Commission saying the body had become controversial, biased and partial by amending the rules for presidential elections.The demand was made at a meeting of the APDM here Sunday in which all heads of member political parties were present. APDM includes almost all opposition parties except the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), which is now in talks over a power-sharing deal with President Musharraf.But PPP too criticised the amendments. PPP leader Babar Awan, a lawyer by profession, said the Election Commission has no authority to do what it did and it had acted against the constitution.'This is illegal and can be challenged in the Supreme Court,' Awan told IANS.Minister Afgan said very few people were aware that the Election Commission does not hold the presidential election. Rather, the CEC is solely responsible for conducting the election.'The CEC has issued a notification, which has become part of the official gazette, under which Musharraf can contest the election,' said Afgan.He added that after the notification, the tag of 'government employee' does not apply to the president.When contacted, a spokesman for the Election Commission said that except for CEC no other official in the poll panel was involved in the president's election.The CEC, retired judge Qazi Muhammad Farooq, was not available for comment.
(c) Indo-Asian News Service
