Split mandate highly likely: 'electing new PM may take some time'

If no single political party gets a simple majority in the general elections, lobbying to form a coalition to elect a leader of the house may take some time. According to sources, in case of a split mandate, which appears likely, the PPP, headed by President Asif Ali Zardari with his tested bargaining skills, may well yet succeed to cobble up a coalition.
They contended that Pakistan People's Party (PPP) may thus play its trump card once again to increase the widening gulf between two arch political rivals - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and PTI -to put a coalition government in place through wheeling-dealing. However, if any party wins a clear mandate, the issue of electing a leader of the house in National Assembly [prime minister] will not be an issue, as he will be elected as soon as the newly-elected members of parliament are sworn in.
To a question about electing of speaker and deputy speaker National Assembly, sources said that it will also not be an issue if any single party manages to secure a clear mandate, adding that a split mandate will certainly delay the process, as developing a consensus will be an uphill task. The country appears to be heading for a fractured mandate and the session of the newly elected assembly may be delayed till a political party succeeds in securing the magic number of 172 seats in the National Assembly.
Under the Constitution, the National Assembly will meet on the 21st day following the day on which a general election to the assembly is held, unless sooner summoned by the President. A session of the house, however, may also be convened by the President after consultation with political parties, the sources in National Assembly secretariat stated, adding that the decision to elect a prime minister is the sole prerogative of political parties through voting in parliament.
They said that on the first day of the session, the newly elected members will be sworn in, on the second day, the election of speaker and deputy speaker will take place and then it will be time to elect the prime minister. However, they said that it is not mandatory and the election of the trio - speaker, deputy speaker, prime minister - can be delayed for some time in case of a split mandate.