LONDON, July 6: The much awaited and once postponed multi-party conference (MPC) will open here on Saturday against the backdrop of reports of a new attempt on President Musharraf’s life, the Lal Masjid standoff, the ongoing lawyers-led street protests on the CJ issue and the escalating tensions between the media and the government.

Insiders said the question whether or not to boycott the forthcoming elections in case Gen Musharraf refused to accept the conditions to be set by the MPC for free and fair polls would dominate the two-day conference with PML-N leading those who would want to boycott in such a situation and the PPP opposing the idea.

The question is also likely to draw a firm dividing line within the MMA between Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s JUI which would not like to boycott the elections under any circumstances and the Qazi Hussain’s JI which under certain circumstances would like to go along with the PML-N.

It is understood that the first and perhaps the most crucial pre-condition of the MPC for participating in the election would be that the current military-led government should hand over all executive powers to an interim civilian set-up led by a mutually acceptable person of known integrity.

The MPC would expect this interim government to lay down rules for the elections in consultation with all political parties.

The conference is also expected to demand for a more neutral election commissioner and enhancement in the commission’s powers so that it could take immediate executive actions to discourage attempts at pre- and post- poll riggings and also could take firm action on the day of polling against those who would try to interfere with the process.

An authenticated list of voters acceptable to all parties is also likely to be on the demands list.

The PML-N would surely also push for no future role for President Musharraf with or without uniform. The MMA and the PPP are not expected to oppose such a role for the President but would like to see him give up his uniform and his powers greatly reduced.

Observes here are not ruling out serious clashes between representatives of the MMA and the PPP over their respective positions on some crucial issues.

The MMA would like the PPP to give unambiguous answers on the question of the ongoing dialogue between, Benazir Bhutto and Gen Musharraf.

The PPP on its part is likely to demand from the MMA an explanation for its continuing support to the PML government in Balochistan if it is so opposed to the present set-up.

Observers here believe that the outcome of this conference will have a profound impact on national politics for many years to come.

According to them, a failure by the conference to draw a strategy that would mobilise the people at large against the Musharraf government and build up enough pressure on it so that it gives in to its demands would pave the way for a long-drawn military rule in the country.

On the other hand, a successful strategy which would come up as well with a fail-safe mechanism to block for ever army’s re-entry into politics would see the democratic process in the country get firm roots, they said.

About 38 political parties including the PML-N, PPP, MMA, ANP, TI, a number of Sindhi and Baloch nationalist groups and representatives of civil society are expected to attend the conference which, however, will be without PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto who is now on a tour of Europe. She will return to London on July 9.

Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Asfandyar Wali Khan and Qadir Magsi have already arrived. Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Imran Khan are expected on Saturday.

The biggest contingent of over 50 is expected to be that of the PML-N comprising Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Rafiq Tarrar, Sartaj Aziz , Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Zafar Ali Shah, Mehtab Abbasi, Sabir Shah and front-rank leaders.

The PPP delegation will be led by Makhdoom Amin Fahim and would include Jehangir Badar, Safdar Abbasi, Sherry Rehman, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Mohammad Hasan Bokhari and Rehman Malik.

The week ahead is likely to be quite interesting for Pakistanis here. On July 10, Benazir will give a talk on Pakistan and the problems it is facing at the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS).

The following day at the same place the Pakistan Foreign Office will have a full-day dialogue on the country’s foreign policy and its directions.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khusro Bakhtyar will lead the dialogue on Pakistan’s behalf.