Bizenjo emerges as candidate for CM’s slot

BAP leader resigns as speaker of Balochistan Assembly; Jamali candidate for the post of speaker

QUETTA:

Following the resignation of Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, the speaker of the provincial assembly, has emerged as the new candidate for the Balochistan chief minister’s post.

Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) Bizenjo has resigned from the post of provincial assembly speaker and will now be the ruling party's candidate for the chief minister’s post.

“Mir Abdul Quddos Bizenjo has been nominated for the post of the chief minister. The aim is to unite the party,” Acting BAP President and parliamentary leader Mir Zahoor Buledi said during an important meeting of key BAP leaders on Monday.

Apart from Buledi, Bizenjo, Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali and Sardar Saleh Bhootani were in attendance.

Buledi said, "The ongoing political crisis is over. After the resignation of the chief minister, our goal has been achieved. Now, our party meetings are ongoing. Liaison has also been established with the faction. Our aim is to unite the party so that it is not harmed by the departure of the chief minister."

He said that a series of party meetings would continue in the coming days.

Earlier in the day, the members of the angry group of BAP, who had tabled the no-confidence motion last week in the house against the chief minister, withdrew their motion after the resignation of Jam Kamal Khan.

Speaker Bizenjo, who was presiding over the assembly session, informed the house that there will be no voting on the no-trust motion as Jam Kamal had resigned from the office of the chief minister and an official notification about the acceptance of the resignation was issued.

Buledi said, “The budget was to be passed but since I was looking at things myself, I got provincial revenue of Rs27 billion last year, and this year, I have a development budget of Rs103 billion which cannot be achieved. An amount of Rs55 billion has been set aside but our problems with PPL have not been solved."

He said, "If this problem is not solved, the budget deficit which is currently Rs84 billion will increase further and it will have a direct impact on the PSDP.”

The meeting discussed in detail the new coalition government for the province.

After lengthy deliberations, the party agreed on the name of Bizenjo for the new leader of the house, while Jamali will be the joint candidate of the party and allies for the post of speaker.

Read Kamal quits as Balochistan CM

The names for the cabinet will also be finalised after consensus with the allies after the election of the leader of the house and speaker.

BAP leader Bhootani said that the decision for the appointment of the new chief minister of the province will be taken after consultation with all the coalition parties. “The comrades who have rendered sacrifices will be at the forefront of the new government.”

For a long time now, disgruntled BAP members, including the opposition, had been demanding the resignation of CM Kamal.

Talking to the media at the Balochistan Assembly, BAP spokesperson Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran confirmed the nomination of “Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo” as the candidate for the CM’s slot.

He said the no-confidence motion was filed against former CM Kamal on October 20.

"We had more than 40 comrades ready but the chief minister resigned. After that the resolution was withdrawn," he said, adding that the process for the appointment of the new chief minister will be completed in the next two days.

"The speaker has also resigned. After approval, we will also complete the election of the speaker as per democratic and constitutional requirements," he said.

"Our delegations met with PTI, ANP, Hazara Democratic Party. We will invite them to come and lay the foundation of a new style of government in Balochistan in which all the members of the assembly will work for the welfare of the province, to end the suffering of the people, improve health and education," he said.

It is pertinent to mention that Abdul Quddus Bizenjo has the experience of running the affairs of the chief minister as he had the privilege to stay as the CM for six months in the past.