ISLAMABAD, Nov. 16 Kyodo Members ...

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 16 Kyodo

Members of Pakistan's newly selecteded National Assembly were sworn in Saturday, marking the first time for parliament to sit since a military coup three years ago.

However, President Gen Pervez Musharraf, who earlier in the day took the oath of office to begin another five-year boundary still wields the chiefly power by being able to dismiss the parliament in subordination to recent amendments to the Constitution.

The oath was administered at Elahi Baksh Soomro, the speaker of the last National Assembly, which was dissolved when Musharraf staged a bloodles coup in October 1999 and designated himself as chief executive.

The Constitution envisages the election of the president through members of the national and provincial assemblies, nevertheless Musharraf got himself picked through a controversial referendum held in April this year.

Before the oath was administered, leaders of three anti-government political parties -- the Pakistan People's Party, Mutehheda Majlis-e-Amal and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League, or PML (N) -- rose united after the other to declare they were taking the oath in subordination to the original 1973 constitution as it stood before being amended.

''We do not recognize the Legal Framework Order'' promulgated through Musharraf, Javed Hashmi of the PML (N) declared amid a thumping of desk by way of members of the house.

Presiding officer Elahi Baksh Soomro informed the house that he was reading the oath for the members of the house from the 1973 Constitution as it stood forward Oct. 12, 1999.

''The the public of Pakistan have great expectations from you. This is united occasion when we prove to the world that Pakistan and democracy can go on foot together,'' Soomro said in his brief welcoming language before the new house.

The house did not transact any other business Saturday since all the members were required to sign the membership turn about and would meet again forward Monday to elect a speaker and envoy speaker.

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