Strategy devised to let Parliament complete term

ISLAMABAD—The government has devised a strategy to put on hold the resignation of the members of a religious alliance for a few months so that the parliament could complete its term.
According to government sources, the speaker of the National Assembly is constitutionally empowered to put on hold the resignation of any assembly member for an indefinite period.
It is only in case of a disqualification case that the speaker has to notify it to the election commission for the by-elections, say the law experts. The sources said the government has devised the strategy to let the assemblies complete their terms without going into the haste of by-elections.
The ruling alliance leaders feel the by-elections may benefit the six-party religious alliance, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA). It has, therefore, decided to put on hold the expected resignations of the MMA members who have threatened to quit the National Assembly against the passage of the Women Protection Bill.
The sources pointed out that according to Article 64 of the 1973 Constitution, a member will send his resignation to the speaker of the National Assembly and then his seat will become vacant. However, it is the speaker who will inform the election commission that a seat has been vacant and by-elections may be held to fill that seat.
According to Article 224 of the Constitution, except for dissolution of the National or a provincial assembly, when a general seat in any assembly becomes vacant not later than 120 days before the term of the assembly is due to expire, an election to fill the seat would be held within 60 days from the occurrence of the vacancy. The term of the current assemblies is due to expire in October 2007, hence no by-elections could be held after June 2007. Therefore, the sources said, if the speaker keeps the resignations pending till late April or start of May 2007, there will be no need for any by-elections and the assemblies would complete their term.
The sources said the move would also provide face saving to the MMA leaders, many of whom don’t want to quit the parliament. Explaining, the sources said that once the speaker decided to keep the resignations pending, MMA leaders would be in a position to claim publicly that they have already resigned from the assemblies. State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kamil Ali Agha said the speaker has the powers to put on hold the resignations for an indefinite period.—SANA