With government formation still in the works, Pakistan People's Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has ruled out any truck with the pro-Musharraf PML-Q, but appeared unenthusiastic about impeaching the President, an issue strongly pursued by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

"I think the mandate is for democracy and against fundamental forces and the previous government," Zardari said in an interview to India Today magazine.

Asked if the mandate was not against President Pervez Musharraf, he replied: "Isn't he part of it (the previous government)?"

Replying to a question on the demand for impeachment of Musharraf, he said the new parliament, which will be 'supreme', will decide whether the President should step down. Zardari was confident that he would be able to reach a common ground with Sharif on the issue.

With the PPP having emerged as the largest party in Monday's general election, Zardari has vowed to strengthen the parliament by forming a national consensus government. He has also stopped short of endorsing PML-N chief Sharif's call for Musharraf to quit,  following the defeat of the ruling PML-Q in the polls.

On Musharraf's impeachment, he said, "Let the parliament decide. We are getting carried away by slogans rather than going to the crux of the job. The beef is in strengthening democracy."

To a query on whether he would ask Musharraf to step down, Zardari said, "Why don't we let the parliament decide and see if it can do it. If it can't, then let everyone cut his cloth according to his size."

Zardari  said, "I will be working with the parliament. It is the sovereign governing body of the country. In a constitutional democracy, a president has a limited role. I will ensure that the parliament is supreme."

The PPP co-chairman has begun consultations with the PML-N, which has emerged as the second largest party, and other parties like the Awami National Party, on forming a consensus government.

However, differences between the PPP and the PML-N on the key issue of reinstating judges, deposed by Musharraf during last year's emergency rule, are expected to impede their efforts to form a coalition.

Asked about Sharif's insistence on reinstating the deposed judges, Zardari said, "I think it is a very small thought. I think we need a larger solution to this problem. We need to make the judiciary independent, financially too. Then we need to lay down the parameters of what the judiciary's functions are.

"For too long in our history, we have suffered when the judiciary took on itself to destabilise the government. So we have to be very careful and, therefore, I feel there should be an open debate in parliament, every single judge should be vetted by parliament and then only should they be appointed."

Zardari, however, was hopeful of reaching common ground with Sharif on this issue. "I think his (Sharif's) agenda will coincide with our agenda. He will come around to the power of parliament."

Zardari said he was not disappointed that the PPP did not win a simple majority on its own in the February 18 general elections as the party had done well is pite of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December.

"It's like if you have an army which is fighting a war and you lose your general and in spite of that your army manages to win the battle. But our victory was against all odds. Everyone knows the kind of rigging that took place," he said.

Zardari said he was calling for a government of national consensus as the country is in "disarray, there is no governance and institutions have been weakened". Such a government would not include the PML-Q that backs Musharraf and was routed in the polls.

"PML-Q has never been a political party. It is a collection of individuals. Now the elections have exposed them. So where is the question of an alliance (with them)," he said.

Asked who would be the PPP's prime minister, he said, "It is a settled issue. We will put an agenda on the table and see which of our senior-most parliamentarians will fit the bill."

Ruling himself out for the post, Zardari said, "I think the party is more important. There is too much protocol for the prime minister to be able to do party work along with his duties. We (Bhutto and he) have been together to the prime minister's house twice. We don't want to go there again."

He said he saw great potential in relations with India. "I see a great potential. We are a small country compared to India but we are a large supporter of it. India can be a super economic power if we do things together," he said.