The PPP will support the prime minister candidate of PML-N, said party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari following the meeting of the Central Executive Committee (CEC).
Bilawal said the PPP will also not seek any ministries at the federal level and his party has accepted the election results, despite concerns, in the larger interest of the country.
“We do not want the country to hold another election, going towards another general election will only harm the country,” said the PPP scion while addressing the media.
He added that if the PPP had not joined the PML-N, the country would have suffered. “It can not be that one party always raises objections against poll results.”
“We want all the political parties to address the shortcomings so that no one can point fingers at elections the next time. We will also utilise available forums like ECP, parliament in addressing these issues,” said Bilawal.
“We want a government to form in the Centre and it should be allowed to function.”
“I will not be putting myself forward for the candidacy of the prime minister of Pakistan,” said Bilawal and added that the PML-N and independents have a greater number in the Centre.
The PPP leader said the decision to support PML-N was taken after the PTI refused to form a coalition with the party, leaving the PML-N as the only party that had invited the PPP to join the government.
The PPP chairman elaborated that he “personally wants Asif Ali Zardari to be the next president”. “The country is burning and the only person who can control the situation is Zardari.”
“In conclusion, the PPP has made the decision that we may not be a part of the government but we will engage with political parties on the issue of votes and the election of prime minister.
“I am assuring the public that the Parliament will be formed and it is a forum where their issues will be resolved,” Bilawal said.
A day earlier, the PPP CEC deliberated on different suggestions and proposals. Former president Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari chaired the CEC meeting of the party at Zardari House, Islamabad.
Following the post-Feb 8 vote whirlwind, where no party emerged as a simple majority, the PML-N and PPP have been engaged in a strategic tango to form a central government with the support of their allies.
The PML-N, in particular, is burning the midnight oil to piece together a government in the Centre, Punjab, and Balochistan.
Despite days-long consultations between the two major parties of the country, the PPP has decided to back PML-N’s candidate for the prime minister’s slot but will not be a part of the federal government
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari announced during a news conference after the party’s post-central executive committee’s (CEC) session on Tuesday. saying that he was withdrawing from the candidacy for prime minister’s post as “the PPP doesn’t have the mandate to form the federal government”.
“It is a fact that the PPP does not have a mandate to form the federal government and due to that I will not be putting myself forward for the candidacy of the prime minister of Pakistan,” he added.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and PML-N, he said, have more numbers than his party in the National Assembly, but since the former has announced that they would not engage in any dialogue with the PPP, there is no possibility of a PTI or independents-led government in the country.
The young politician further said that as the PPP is not in a position to form the government in the Centre, it would not be interested in taking federal ministries in the setup.
“We don’t want to see chaos in the country or perpetual crisis in the country,” he said while setting aside the perception of re-election.
Revealing the reason behind backing the rival party’s candidate for the coveted post, Bilawal said that the PPP decided to support the PML-N’s candidate for the premiership to ensure political instability in the country.
