LAHORE, May 20: President Asif Ali Zardari thinks that some “local and international forces” ensured that the PPP did not come to power again and accused them of stealing the “party’s mandate” in the general elections.

“The PPP has been kept out of power by force as some local and international forces were against its coming to power again,” President Zardari said while addressing the party’s election candidates at the Bilawal House here on Monday.

He said some forces did not like the PPP government’s steps for lasting peace and stability in the region and the fight against poverty.

He also talked about the PPP government’s agreements with some countries in the region that had annoyed the international forces, an apparent reference to the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline and an agreement on Gwadar with China.

“In the elections, the PPP did not lose but the party having a ‘specific ideology’ won,” he said.

President Zardari asked the party’s workers not to be disheartened by the defeat, saying those who had ‘stolen its mandate’ would soon be exposed before the nation. “We will thoroughly analyse the factors behind the party’s defeat and strengthen it in the days to come,” he said, adding that even the dictators could not harm the PPP in the past. The president also talked about giving tough time to the (PML-N) government from opposition benches. “Do not forget when the BB Shaheed (late Benazir Bhutto) was the opposition leader (in 1997) the PPP had 17 seats (in the National Assembly). Today we have more seat. We will do effective politics in the opposition in a democratic way.”

Asking the workers again not to lose heart, the president said he would be among them after completing his tenure and actively participate in politics. “I will spend most of my time here in Bilawal House meeting with the party workers,” he said.

During the two-hour meeting, the ticket-holders were given an opportunity to vent their feelings. A candidate from Lahore told Dawn that the president asked him and others to give reasons behind the party’s defeat.

Those who got the opportunity to speak talked about ‘systematic’ rigging. They also blamed former prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf for the setback. “I told the president about rigging by the PML-N candidate in my constituency and also the leaders’ lack of support and no campaign by PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari,” he said.

The workers called upon Mr Zardari not to give key positions to those responsible for the party’s poor performance and inject fresh blood instead.

The president listened to the suggestions and promised to remain in touch with them.

Some workers criticised the PPP’s policy of reconciliation. “I know some jialas (diehard workers) are against my policy of reconciliation but I will continue it,” President Zardari said.

On Sunday, President Zardari had told a journalists’ group that “the PPP could not run its campaign due to threats to its leadership by the Taliban”.

The president said he would complete his tenure and it was pointless to resign at this stage. He said the PPP could have won 40 to 45 seats in Punjab.