The Hindu : Musharraf will continue to call the shots

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 16, 2002

International

International

Musharraf will continue to call the shots

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD July 15. Thanks to the unprecedented changes proposed in the suspended 1973 Constitution the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, would almost be a monarch even after he hands over power to a civilian Government that is expected to be voted to power in the October general election.

He would have power either to appoint or dismiss every authority from the Prime Minister to the Governors to the Chief Election Commissioner. Under the proposed changes, Gen. Musharraf can nominate any person, if in his view the person can command the confidence of the National Assembly, as the Prime Minister.

The term of the National and Provincial Assemblies is to be reduced from five to four years. The Senate (equivalent to the Rajya Sabha) is to be converted from a permanent one to an institution with a four-year term. Procedure for election of members to the Senate is to be changed from indirect to direct. Earlier, members of State Assemblies constituted the Electoral College of the Senate.

While the term of the National and Provincial Assemblies are to be reduced from five to four years, the President would continue to hold office for a five-year term. As per the April 30 referendum, Gen. Musharraf is deemed to have been elected as the President for a further period of five years from the date the new assemblies are constituted.

The President could dismiss the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers if in his view they have acted against the `national interest' or attempted to reverse the political and economic reforms initiated by his regime. Gen. Musharraf is not bound by the advice of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet to dissolve the Assembly.

A Prime Minister once dismissed by the President cannot be elected by the Assembly for the job during the life of the Assembly. The President could dissolve the Assembly even without the recommendation from the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers if in his view it has acted against the `national interest'. The Governors appointed by the President would have the same authority as the Chief Ministers in the four provinces and the assemblies.The President would have the authority to appoint heads of all constitutional bodies of the country.

These include the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner, Auditor General, Supreme Judicial Council, Armed Forces Chiefs, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), the Governor of State Bank and the Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau.

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