ISLAMABAD:
Former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said he finds nothing unconstitutional if the incumbent prime minister has to resign, clearing the way for mid-term elections. Similarly, he said he sees nothing wrong in demanding an audit of last year’s general election.
“If the government thinks the elections were fair, it should not be worried about the vote audit,” Ashraf, who is also the secretary general of PPP, told a news conference on Saturday.
He said the whole country is in a state of chaos due to ongoing protests and sit-ins by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek which have been going-on for more than 54 days now.
Ashraf insisted that, “those who believe elections were not rigged, they should not be worried in getting the votes recounted.”
Analysts believe that the recent mixed statements from different PPP leaders show that the former ruling party is gradually moving towards mid-term elections.
The former prime minister was of the view that the ball is now in the court of the government which needs to take some concrete measures to end the political stalemate.
He claimed that during the whole episode, PPP has neither sided with protesters nor with the incumbent government. Their party still believes that negotiations were the only way out to resolve the crisis, he concluded.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2014.
and we the subjects of “democracy” call Raja Rental to return the looted billions of this nation then stage his spectacle of “democratic politics”
Look who is talking!
PPPs stance to be PMLNs B team has wiped of their remaining support in Punjab. PTI has taken the control, IK is clicking with the masses, these dinosaurs aren’t. PPP today is just a rural regional party based on feudalism, nothing more.
Dear Mr ashraf,
It is our country not a devils playground. Once midterm election will happen it will happen after every 6 months…!! Culture of acceptance of defeat should be promoted.. N bring electoral reforms N wait for 2018 so no one can derail our country N democracy by making rigging an issue..!
Knowing this man’s dubious past you show importance to his utterances. This is the problem with this Media. They keep all such characters in the news for ulterior motives. Yousaf Raza, Raymond Malik,Zardari,Amin Fahim etc bring bad name to this nation.In other countries such characters would be dead and burried politically and socially but here you keep them alive and kicking?
The sooner the Dying PPP realizes and accepts the demand of the people the better for the party’s survival. It is not uncommon to have mid term election in most of the western hemisphere, the PPP did nothing except wheeling and dealing for its survival and power during its rule and now sitting on the fence as expected.