(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-03-18 13:57

ISLAMABAD -- The Pakistan People's Party (PPP), the largest in the parliament, has named Fahmida Mirza as its candidate for the post of parliament speaker, local newspaper Dawn reported Tuesday.

If elected, 51-year-old Mriza will be the first woman speaker of the National Assembly or the lower house of parliament in Pakistan.

The PPP also nominated Faisal Karim Kundi as candidate for parliament deputy speaker.

Polling for the posts will be held through secret ballot Wednesday and the new elected speaker will take over charge of the custodian of the house the same day.

The inaugural session of Pakistan's new parliament was held in Islamabad on Monday and was adjourned after the newly-elected members took oath.

The PPP won most votes in the Feb. 18 parliamentary elections, and agreed to form coalition government with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, which came the second.

According to the declaration signed by the two major parties, the candidates for prime minister, parliament speaker and deputy speaker will be from the PPP of the assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

But the PPP has not nominated any person for premiership so far.