ISLAMABAD: Ever since former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani took oath as a National Assembly member a day earlier, speculations have been rife over Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) nominee for the seat of Senate chairman, as curiosity has increased regarding who will assume the coveted legislature post, The News reported on Friday.

Gilani had resigned from his Senate membership ahead of the NA’s oathtaking ceremony on Thursday. The veteran PPP politician was a strong contender for the top Senate post.

PPP insiders told The News that only the party’s Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari can answer the question regarding the next Senate chair nominee. But as far as rumours are to be believed, discussions in Islamabad point towards the nomination of a dark horse in the race.

When asked, PPP insiders did not say anything about the rumours but said there was an agreement with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) that the Senate chairman would be from the PPP. The party’s priority, however, is the presidential election, its sources said, and the issue of the Senate chairman would be decided later.

In a parallel move, the head of the central election cell of the PPP, Senator Taj Haider, has written a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, asking the ECP to hold elections for the eleven vacant seats of the Senate as soon as possible.

“We have to bring to your attention that 11 (eleven) seats of the Senate of Pakistan are vacant at present so the Senate is therefore incomplete and the shortage in numbers is very high at almost 10%”, said the letter.

Senator Taj Haider has also stated in the letter that Section 127 of the Election Act deals with by-elections on vacant seats of the Senate while Section 107 of the same act lays down the procedure of all elections to the Senate and does not allow more than one day for completing each step of the election schedule. Senator Haider concluded by asking the CEC to: “You are requested to order that elections on the above-mentioned vacant seats of the Senate should be held as early as possible”.

Speaking to The News, Senator Taj Haider said that under clause 4 of Article 223, if a member is elected to another house then the first seat he/she holds shall become vacant.

Article 223(4) states: “Subject to clause (2) if a member of either House or of a Provincial Assembly becomes a candidate for a second seat which, in accordance with clause (1), he may not hold concurrently with his first seat, then his first seat shall become vacant as soon as he is elected to the second seat.”

Senator Taj Haider was of the view that under Article 223(4) of the constitution, a member did not have a choice regarding this since if they were elected to another house then the first house membership would automatically stand vacant.