POLLS ON
SCHEDULE
PRESIDENT YAHYA KHAN'S REMARKS AT PRESS CONFERENCE
IN
President General Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan told a
Press Conference in
" Elections will take place " was his
answer to a question by a foreign correspondent who wanted to know if the
general elections would be postponed in view of demands by some political
parties.
As for schedule of elections in the eight or nine
constituencies which have been affected by the cyclone, the President said he
had left the question to be decided by the Chief Election Commissioner.
The Election Commission, he said, was an independent
body and the Chief Election Commissioner was already here to assess the
situation to decide when to hold elections in the cyclone affected areas.
Replying to another question on how delayed the
elections in the affected constituencies could be, the President explained that
there was already a gap between the National and Provincial Assembly elections.
Provincial Assembly elections, he pointed out, was not so important in the
sense that the Provincial Assemblies will be operative only after the
Constituent Assembly had framed a constitution. If the elections in the cyclone
affected constituencies were postponed, the polls there would be like
by-elections.
Martial Law to continue if constitution goes beyond LFO
Replying to another question the President said he
would summon the National Assembly' " as soon as possible ". The
stipulated period of 120 days for framing the constitution would begin from the
day the session begins, he told another questioner.
During the Press Conference at the Darbar Hall of
the Governor's House the President replied to a score of question on election,
relation between two wings and his opinion on the issue of Provincial autonomy.
He said he would not stand in the way of maximum
autonomy for the people of
He said although East Pakistan was one of the five
provinces, because of its geographical distance of over thousand miles from the
other wing it must have maximum autonomy to run her own affairs within the
overall framework of one Pakistan. " After all I do not want to have five
The President was asked to comment on Six-Point
Programme and the correspondent wanted to know if it would finally lead to
separation between the two wings of
The President said he was not concerned with six or
any other points. What was imperative was that people of
Replying to a question by another foreign
correspondent the President said he did not believe there was any tendency of
separatism in
When the correspondent referred to criticism of
When a correspondent asked if the criticism of West
Pakistan in
He said he knew of one instance in which a weeping
old woman had donated her life's savings made for performing the hajj towards
the relief of the cycloneaffected people. He said even small children were
moving throughout the days to raise donations for the victims of the
catastrophe.
He appealed to such leaders to have a broad national
view. Nobody should take political advantage from such a situation.
Replying to a question on the Constitution, the
President made it clear that Martial Law would continue if the proposed
Constitution was not framed in conformity with the five basic principles
contained in the Legal Framework Order.
The President said the general elections were being
held under LFO an instrument of Martial Law and all political parties are
taking part in the elections after its acceptance.
If after the elections they (parties) refuse to
accept the LFO, as far as 1 am concerned I will take it that they have not
taken part in the elections. Martial Law continues and it shall continue.
At one point the President was asked if the criticism
against his Government regarding relief operation had been politically
motivated. General Yahya said he was not an aspirant or participant in
politics. He said the people of
He said that the sovereignty will be given to the
National Assembly only when he has handed over the power. Until then everything
is under cover and umbrella of Martial Law.
The President who on a number of occasions advised
the critics of his Government to "conic to power as quickly as possible
through elections," said he would like to hand over the responsibility of
the administration to the people's Government as soon as possible. " I
want to hand over power to people's Government. I am a soldier, and I want to
go back to soldiering".
President's attention was drawn by foreign
correspondents to criticisms by political leaders and the national Press on the
relief operation. He said I accept these criticisms from my people. My only
request is that they be constructive.
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Criticism of the Central Government by political
leaders came in for quick retorts from the President. When a foreign
correspondent wanted President's comment on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's allegation
of " criminal negligence " on the part of the Central Government,
General Yahya said: I did not bring the cyclone. It was not my fault. My fault
begins taking shape only when I do not do anything for the surviving people.
When another correspondent referred to Sheikh
Mujib's charges of callousness on the part of the "guilty
bureaucrats", the President said his advice would be: Let them come to
power as quickly as possible.
About Awami League leader's assertion that a quick
move by the Pakistan Navy could have saved many lives, the President said the
allegation arose out of lack of information. " I hope they come to power
and do better. I have tried to do my maximum.
(MORNING NEWS, Karachi and Dacca-November 28, 1970)
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