ISLAMABAD, March 22: The Pakistan People’s Party on Saturday named Makhdoom Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani for election as the country’s next prime minister to head a landmark coalition of former political rivals, ending weeks of suspense on a day of high political drama that also saw some old friendships being punctured and a new one initiated.

Wiles and guiles of politics were in full play in Islamabad before a statement from PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari announced the choice he said he had made through consultations within the party and with coalition partners, dumping the other most prominent hopeful, Makhdoom Amin Fahim.

The nominee of the PPP, which emerged as the largest parliamentary group in the Feb 18 election, will be the coalition’s joint candidate whose election by the National Assembly for a five-year term, set for Monday, is a foregone conclusion because of the expected support by more than two-thirds majority in the 342-seat lower house.

Mr Fahim, a senior vice-chairman of the PPP, like Mr Gilani, and president of the party’s electoral arm of PPP Parliamentarians, immediately accepted the nomination despite strongly pressing his candidacy publicly in the past, and told the media by telephone from Karachi that he would arrive in Islamabad on Sunday “only, only and only” to vote for Mr Gilani on Monday.

The nomination was earlier due to have been announced by PPP boy chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who, according to party officials, had come home during a studies break in Britain only for this purpose.

But in an apparent last-minute change of plans amid murmurs about the wisdom of involving the 19-year-old undergraduate in a controversy and to announce a choice he was not expected to make, the task was left to a statement from Mr Zardari that was read out to the media by party spokesman Farhatullah Babar.

However, the statement spoke of consultations having been held with Bilawal as with other coalition partners and unspecified party members and made no mention of Mr Fahim, whose candidacy had fed rumour mills for weeks after media reports that Mr Zardari and main ally PML-N had developed some reservations about the PPP’s most senior parliamentarian because of his past contacts with President Pervez Musharraf.

Though Mr Zardari never spoke about the matter publicly, Mr Fahim had reacted to a statement by PML-N MNA Khwaja Mohammad Asif by stating recently that he had such contacts during the lifetime of assassinated party leader Benazir Bhutto on her directives and Mr Zardari was aware of those made afterwards.

While the PPP prepared for the announcement of its prime ministerial candidate, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) stunned the opposition alliance by withdrawing its member Farooq Sattar as joint opposition candidate for the office to give an unconditional support of its 25 National Assembly members to the PPP nominee.

The sudden move left the formerly ruling Pakistan Muslim League and its allies with no option but to look for an alternative.

Political observers were intrigued by the sudden MQM’s withdrawal from the race, which set off speculations about a possible role of President Pervez Musharraf because of his perceived sympathies for the party. The move came after a reported telephonic contact between Mr Zardari and MQM’s self-exiled leader Altaf Hussain.

Strangely, leaders of both the MQM and PML said they would remain together in opposition though one of them will vote for the PPP candidate.

Some political sources speculated that peace with MQM could help the PPP overcome any problems in its main power base of Sindh province due to the rejection of Mr Fahim’s candidacy or to neutralise any future challenge from any other coalition partner at the centre.

Mr Zardari said in his statement that a “consensus has been achieved” in nominating Mr Gilani after completion of consultations within the PPP, with coalition partners and with Mr Bilawal Bhutto.

“I have great pleasure in calling upon Makhdoom Yusuf Raza Gilani in the name of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto to accept the heavy responsibility and lead the coalition government and the nation to greater heights and a glorious future,” the statement said and added: “Makhdoom Yusuf Raza Gilani is not afraid to lead and he knows the way.”

The PPP co-chairman said his “thoughts and prayers” were with Mr Gilani, the coalition government and the people of Pakistan and that he wished them “all success in the challenges that lie ahead”.

He further said: “On this occasion my thoughts go to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto who led from the front the fight for democracy and laid down her life. I also recall the sacrifices of those countless martyrs who valiantly fought along with her throughout the years and died for the cause. Their sacrifices have illumined the path that will be traversed by the generations to come.”