Country: Pakistan Official Name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan Election Type: Parliamentary Date: February 18, 2008 Source for election date

At stake in this election:

• 342 seats in the National Assembly

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Pervez MUSHARRAF *
• Head of Government: Interim Prime Minister Mohammadmian SOOMRO
• Assembly: Pakistan has a bicameral Parliament (Majlis-e-Shoora) consisting of the Senate with 100 seats and the National Assembly with 342 seats.

* The Electoral College consists of members of the Senate, National Assembly and the Provincial Assemblies.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by an electoral college to serve a 5-year term.
• Interim Prime Minister is elected by parliament.
• In the Senate 100 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 6-year terms*. In the National Assembly 342 members are elected by party-list system with proportional distribution of seats to serve 5-year terms.**

* Senate members are indirectly elected by the provincial assemblies and the territories’ representatives through a proportional representation singe transferable vote. Members serve six-year terms with one half elected every three years.

** 60 seats represent women; 10 seats represent minorities.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPPP)*
  Leader: Bilawal Bhutto ZARDARI
  Seats won in this National Assembly election: 121
  Seats won in last National Assembly election: 81
• Party: Pakistan's Muslim League / (PML-Q)
  Leader: Chaudhry Shujaat HUSSAIN
  Seats won in this National Assembly election: 54
  Seats won in last National Assembly election: 126
• Party: Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction (PML-N)***
  Leader: Nawaz SHARIF
  Seats won in this National Assembly election: 91
  Seats won in last National Assembly election: 19
• Party: Pakistan People's Party (Sherpao) (PPP-S)
  Leader: Aftab Ahmed SHERPAO
  Seats won in this National Assembly election: 1
  Seats won in last National Assembly election: 2
• Party: Pakistan Muslim League, Functional Group (PML-F)
  Leader: Pir PAGARO
  Seats won in this National Assembly election: 5
  Seats won in last National Assembly election: 5
• Independent(s): Independent
  Leader: N/A
  Seats won in this National Assembly election: 35
  Seats won in last National Assembly election: N/A
• Party: National People's Party (NPP)
  Leader: N/A
  Seats won in this National Assembly election: 0
  Seats won in last National Assembly election: 1
• Party: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA)
  Leader: Qazi Hussain AHMED
  Seats won in this National Assembly election: 6
  Seats won in last National Assembly election: 63
• Party: Mutthida Quami Movement (MQM)
  Leader: Altaf HUSSAIN
  Seats won in this National Assembly election: 25
  Seats won in last National Assembly election: 17
• Party: Awami National Party (ANP)
  Leader: Mian Iftikhar HUSSAIN
  Seats won in this National Assembly election: 13
  Seats won in last National Assembly election: 0

* With the recent assassination of party leader Benazir BHUTTO, her son Bilawal Bhutto ZARDARI will assume the leadership position of the PPP when he finishes his studies at Oxford University. In the meantime, his father, Asif Ali ZARDARI will serve as the co-chairman of the PPP.
*** SHARIF has been banned from running in the election.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 164,741,924 (July 2007 est.)
• Registered Voters: 80,910,318 (February 2008 Election Commission of Pakistan)

Last Updated on 09/21/2007

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