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| Pakistan MPs in election boycott | Pakistan MPs in election boycott |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| More than 80 opposition MPs have resigned from Pakistan's national parliament in protest at Saturday's presidential election. | More than 80 opposition MPs have resigned from Pakistan's national parliament in protest at Saturday's presidential election. |
| They insist that President Pervez Musharraf is ineligible to stand. | They insist that President Pervez Musharraf is ineligible to stand. |
| Meanwhile two rival candidates for Saturday's election have filed fresh petitions in the Supreme Court against Gen Musharraf's candidacy. | Meanwhile two rival candidates for Saturday's election have filed fresh petitions in the Supreme Court against Gen Musharraf's candidacy. |
| Last Friday the court dismissed a number of petitions, in a move seen as a major victory for the president. | Last Friday the court dismissed a number of petitions, in a move seen as a major victory for the president. |
| The president is elected by MPs from the national assembly and Pakistan's four provincial assemblies. | The president is elected by MPs from the national assembly and Pakistan's four provincial assemblies. |
| Correspondents say that the resignations make it even more certain that Gen Musharraf will win the vote. | |
| 'Unconstitutional' | 'Unconstitutional' |
| The 86 MPs who resigned on Tuesday were drawn mainly from an alliance of Islamic parties, the MMA, and from the PML-N party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. | The 86 MPs who resigned on Tuesday were drawn mainly from an alliance of Islamic parties, the MMA, and from the PML-N party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. |
| Other presidential candidates have launched a legal challenge | |
| "We are handing over the resignations today because we consider the election of the president is illegal and unconstitutional," one leading MP, Liaquat Baloch, said, the AFP news agency reports. | "We are handing over the resignations today because we consider the election of the president is illegal and unconstitutional," one leading MP, Liaquat Baloch, said, the AFP news agency reports. |
| The MPs hope the resignations will make the presidential election be seen to be meaningless. | The MPs hope the resignations will make the presidential election be seen to be meaningless. |
| "This is the first step to discredit the election process," another MP, former cricket star Imran Khan, said. | "This is the first step to discredit the election process," another MP, former cricket star Imran Khan, said. |
| The country's biggest party is the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. It is not taking part in the boycott. | The country's biggest party is the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. It is not taking part in the boycott. |
| The PPP has been in talks with Gen Musharraf over a power-sharing agreement. | The PPP has been in talks with Gen Musharraf over a power-sharing agreement. |
| Parliament must now function without an opposition | |
| The petitions filed by lawyers representing two candidates standing against President Musharraf, retired Judge Wajihuddin Ahmed and Makhdoom Amin - vice chairman of the PPP - say that the president is not eligible to stand while also remaining head of the army. | |
| The petitions state that the Election Commission was wrong to approve his nomination papers over the weekend. | |
| "We are hopeful for justice," lawyer Tariq Mahmood told the Associated Press news agency. "We have a strong case against President Musharraf." |