Presidential powers curtailed * NWFP renamed ISLAMABAD – Pakistan's National Assembly Thursday voted unanimously to approve reforms stripping President Asif Ali Zardari of key powers in a move to bolster parliamentary democracy weakened by military rule. The historic 18th amendment, which rolls back four decades of infringements by military rulers on Pakistan's 1973 constitution, is expected to sail through the upper house of parliament as early as next week and then pass into law. The lower parliament approved the 102-clause bill by 292 votes to none among those present in the 342-member assembly. The PML-Nawaz abstained from voting. The amendment includes drastically reducing the level of power held by the President of Pakistan as well as the renaming of the NWFP as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Two hundred and eighty-six MNAs voted in favor of the amendment in Article 6 of the Constitution. However, the National Assembly dismissed the opposition voiced by the PML-Q over the renaming of the NWFP. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani welcomed the reforms and declared that a system of parliamentary democracy was now being restored as lawmakers slammed desks with their fists in celebration. Under the constitutional reforms, the president would no longer have the power to dismiss the prime minister, dissolve parliament - as enacted multiple times in the past - or appoint the head of Pakistan's armed forces. The bill also abolishes a clause which bars the election of a prime minister for more than two terms. This would allow popular opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, who was toppled by Musharraf in 1999, to become premier again. The package, which grants greater autonomy to smaller provinces also renames NWFP, dating back to British rule, as Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa. The reforms will effectively make Zardari a titular head of state who can only formally appoint heads of the armed forces, dissolve the national assembly and appoint provincial governors on the advice of the prime minister. Among other reforms, courts will no longer be able to endorse suspensions of the constitution, a judicial commission will appoint judges and the president will no longer be able to appoint the head of the election commission.
