Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has decided to deny party tickets for the coming elections to 'turncoats' and candidates who lost the last three elections back-to-back and ideological, efficient, and capable workers would be accommodated, said Khalid Hanif Lodhi, District President of PPP Multan while talking to newsmen here on Monday.
He said that we have collected the applications for National and Provincial assembly candidates till June 25, now it would be scrutinised locally then despatch to Benazir Bhutto, Party Chief for final decision. He admitted that Party's many stalwarts might be affected by the decision.
He said that the party's parliamentary board would finalise the list of prospective candidates in the 18-day long meeting starting in London from July 12. Benazir Bhutto will chair the meeting. He said the party's district, divisional presidents would apprise Bhutto of the possible candidates for National Assembly from their respective areas. The board, they said, will consider strong candidates for challenging turncoats (Patriots) who ditched party to form Jamali government. Lodhi said that the PPP had decided not to allow turncoats to rejoin it and would rather field fresh candidates instead of them.
Lodhi claimed the PPP would not award tickets to the candidates, who had failed to reach assemblies in the last three consecutive elections. He said future of the candidates who lost 2002 last elections with a margin of more than 5,000 votes hanged in balance. However, he said, those who had been winning and losing elections and lost 2002 elections with less than 5000 votes would be preferred for party tickets. All MNAs who won 2002 elections and remained loyal to the party are almost certain to get tickets, he said.
Eighteen senior PPP MNAs including Rao Skinadar Iqbal, Nauraiz Shakoor, Sher Afgan Niazi, Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat had quit party, formed PPP-Patriots to help Mir Zafarullah Jamali form a single vote majority government, and received portfolios of their choice in the federal cabinet in return.
Sources said the PPP had kept the option of seat-to-seat adjustment with Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) component parties especially the Nawaz Sharif led Pakistan Muslim League (PML), and would finalise candidates for next elections in view of this option.