The grand opposition alliance, which was initially formed with a sole objective to give tough time to the newly elected government has yet again failed to bring a consensus candidate against the PTI’s presidential candidate Dr. Arif Alvi. The PPP, which had earlier refused to support the PML-N in PM elections has this time again pricked the so called grand opposition’s balloon virtually by nominating its own presidential candidate without taking on board the other parties in the alliance. The disarray in opposition bloc will certainly pave a way for the government to get its candidate elected with much ease as opposition alliance stands completely divided on the issue. Now that the PPP had refused to withdraw its presidential candidate the rest of opposition parties in the loosely coupled alliance have decided to field JUI-F chief Fazl-ur-Rehman as a joint candidate for the president. PPP’s nominee for presidential candidate Barrister Aitizaz Ahsan and PTI candidate Dr. Arif Alvi have formally filed their nomination papers before the competent authorities, whereas JUI-F chief Moulana Fazl-ur-Rehman has submitted his nomination papers as a candidate fielded by the PML-N, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Awami National Party, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and National Party. Had the ‘grand opposition alliance’ been able to bring a consensus candidate it would have certainly been an interesting contest but PPP’s bid to propose its own candidate have left the alliance in tatters. The question that boggles many minds is that what are the problems that have been preventing PPP and PML-N from accepting each others’ demands. PPP and PML-N being major parties in what is being project as a grand alliance, must bear in mind the fact that this alliance will work only if the leadership of the two parties burry their hatchet and stop settling scores against each other. First they decided to bring their own prime minister. According to a draft, which was prepared by then Senate opposition leader Sherry Rehman and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Mushahid Hussain, the opposition parties had decided that the prime minister shall be appointed from the PML-N, the speaker of the National Assembly from the PPP and the deputy speaker from the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA). Later on PPP adopted a different course of action, decided to stay neutral in the elections and did not vote for opposition parties’ candidate for the PM. The PPP no doubt expressed its reservations on the name of Shehbaz Sharif but practically it was the first blow to the grand alliance exposing its fragility. Last week the opposition parties during a day long meeting in Murree while weighing upon different options expressed their resolve to field a consensus candidate for presidential elections but the PPP again threw cold water to alliances’ efforts by remaining stick to its choice. “Aitzaz Ahsan was initially nominated without taking parties of the alliance into confidence,” the PML-N leader Prof. Ahsan Iqbal said this while addressing a press conference in Murree. He said that the PML-N leadership and workers had serious concerns over his nomination. The way PPP and PML-N have been doing things over the past couple of weeks it seems quite difficult for them to keep the opposition united. If opposition parties in the alliance are really serious in working together they will have to respect each other’s view point on different issues and maintain an environment of trust and mutual respect, which are deemed as essential ingredients of successful alliance and long-term partnership.
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