This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/7310978.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Pakistan to elect prime minister | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Pakistan's parliament is set to vote in a new prime minister after recent general elections. | Pakistan's parliament is set to vote in a new prime minister after recent general elections. |
| The candidate of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), ex-parliamentary Speaker Yusuf Raza Gillani, is virtually guaranteed to win. | The candidate of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), ex-parliamentary Speaker Yusuf Raza Gillani, is virtually guaranteed to win. |
| This opens the way for the formation of a government made up of opponents to President Pervez Musharraf. | This opens the way for the formation of a government made up of opponents to President Pervez Musharraf. |
| This is the first time in 12 years that the PPP will head the government, a coalition with a substantial majority. | |
| Jail sentence | |
| The PPP nominated Mr Gillani as its candidate at the weekend. | The PPP nominated Mr Gillani as its candidate at the weekend. |
| Mr Musharraf (R) was badly weakened by the February elections | |
| The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan in Islamabad says that Mr Gillani is much admired within the PPP. He resisted pressure from President Musharraf to desert the PPP, refusing to do any deals with him. | |
| He went to jail in 2001, serving five years following a conviction over illegal government appointments. | |
| The sentence was passed by an anti-corruption court formed by President Musharraf as part of what he termed measures to cleanse politics. His opponents say it was a means of intimidating and coercing their members to join his government. | |
| He will be facing token opposition from President Musharraf's allies, who were soundly defeated in recent elections. | He will be facing token opposition from President Musharraf's allies, who were soundly defeated in recent elections. |
| He will have the daunting task of holding together a large coalition, tackling Islamic militancy and severe economic problems. | He will have the daunting task of holding together a large coalition, tackling Islamic militancy and severe economic problems. |
| 'Full term' | |
| The PPP, which was led by Benazir Bhutto until her assassination in December, emerged as the biggest party in the February elections. | |
| Ms Bhutto's widower is still the PPP's most powerful figure, say analysts | |
| It is now headed by her widower, Asif Ali Zardari. | |
| On Monday he was quoted in The News newspaper as saying that Mr Gillani would serve a full five-year term as prime minister. | |
| There has been widespread speculation that Mr Zardari only wants the next prime minister to hold the post on an interim basis while Mr Zardari takes the necessary steps to make himself eligible to become prime minister. | |
| That would include Mr Zardari winning a parliamentary seat in a by-election. | |
| President Musharraf's power base was badly weakened in the elections. He now faces the prospect of the next government attempting to restore judges sacked by Mr Musharraf in November. | |
| The Supreme Court had been set to rule on whether Mr Musharraf's re-election as president had been legal. |