Day Of Elect A President Of Pakistan Today

Saturday, September 6, 2008 at 9:07 am

ISLAMABAD: The contest for presidential election is being held across country today to vote in a replacement for former president Pervez Musharraf, who stepped down from the chair on October 18. The three presidential hopefuls – Co-Chairman (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari representing PPP, PML-N’s Justice (Retd.) Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui and PML-Q’s candidate Mushahid Hussain Syed – are contesting in the presidential race.

In this context, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finalized all necessary preparations as the secrete polling would decide the 14th president of Pakistan. ECP has forwarded ballot papers and other polling item to Chief Justices of the country’s four High Courts.

According to Election Commission sources, name of Asif Zardari is at the top followed by Justice (retd) Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui and Mushahid Hussain Syed.

ECP has also formally issued code of conduct for the presidential election. Voters will have to mark cross sign before the name of their candidate.

Polling is being held simultaneously in national and provincial assemblies from 10:00 am, which would last till 3: 00 pm without interruption. Under Pakistan’s constitution the members of the country’s four provincial assemblies and the national parliament elect a new president within 30 days of the post becoming vacant.

Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Muhammad Farooq is the Returning Officer in National Assembly where as the four Chief Justices of the four provincial High Courts are the Presiding Officers to administrate the voting in Provincial Assemblies.

Total 1270 members of parliaments are voting for the presidential election whose votes would combine to be counted 702 in numbers.