Pakistan's incoming prime minister will be named by the party of slain premier Benazir Bhutto's party on Saturday, a party spokesman said on Friday. "Martyred Bhutto's son and the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto, will announce the name of the prime minister candidate tomorrow around 20.00 local time (1500 GMT)," Farhatullah Babar told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. Bhutto's PPP finished first, and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of Nawaz Sharif, also a former premier, finished second in the February 18 election. The two parties have formed a coalition to constitute the new government, together with some other smaller parties and some independent candidates. The new prime minister is scheduled to be elected on March 24 by the lower house of the parliament, which is mainly packed with the rivals of President Pervez Musharraf, a key US ally in the fight against terrorism. Musharraf's political backers the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), finished a distant third in February 18 elections. The party's spokesman declined to name who is to be the candidate. "There are more than one candidate and the final decision will be announced tomorrow."
