Tussle on, PPP to name PM next week

PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said the party8217;s candidate for premiership will be announced next week.

Other PPP leaders said Zardari had not yet made a final decision. The first session of the new National Assembly has been convened by President Pervez Musharraf on Monday.

The PPP8217;s parliamentary party will meet at Zardari8217;s residence here on Sunday but party sources said it was unlikely that the prime ministerial candidate will be named at this gathering.

They said the decision on the nominee might be made at a joint parliamentary party meeting of coalition partners PPP, PML-N, Awami National Party and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam 8212; to be held on Monday.

The PPP8217;s nominees for the posts of speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly will chosen tomorrow, party leaders said.

Fahim, whose candidature for premiership ran into problems following allegations that he had met Musharraf and other top members of the military establishment, has asserted that he remains a 8220;solid and strong8221; contender. He has spurned the posts of Speaker and President that were reportedly offered to him.