Musharraf faces election uncertainty as MPs vote
Pakistan’s military ruler is expected to sweep the vote in today’s presidential election, but could yet face disqualification by the country’s Supreme Court.
General Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup, faces a retired judge and an ally of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, in his bid to secure a new five-year presidential term.
But with opposition parties either abstaining or boycotting the election in protest at him running while army chief, he looks bound to win the most votes by far.
The electoral college consists of government and provincial assemblies. MPs at a joint session of the National Assembly and Senate in Islamabad, and in the four provincial assemblies around the country will vote in a secret ballot which opened at 6am British time and closes at 11am.
However, the Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the official results could only be declared after it ruled on petitions lodged by Musharraf’s opponents that his candidacy was unconstitutional.
Hearings will resume on those petitions on October 17, meaning that even if Musharraf wins, he would have to wait at least 11 days before knowing whether he could take up office.
His current presidential term expires on November 15.
Speculation persists that if he is blocked, he might declare martial law.
Musharraf has seen his popularity plummet since a failed bid to oust the country’s top judge in March, and has promised to give up his powerful army post if he wins the election and restore civilian rule.
He says he wants to stay on to continue policies that have turned around Pakistan’s economy despite its position on the front line of the American-led war on terrorism.
The US-allied leader looks set to hatch an alliance with Bhutto after parliamentary elections due by January. Yesterday, he signed into law an amnesty quashing corruption charges against her and other politicians.
That persuaded Bhutto’s party to withdraw a threat to resign from parliament, as other opposition parties have done, although they will still abstain from the vote.
Vice chairman of Bhutto’s party, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, told the joint session of parliament before voting began today that it “cannot elect a person in uniform as president”.
However, Fahim remained a candidate in the vote, along with Wajihuddin Ahmad, a retired judge who has been nominated by anti-Musharraf lawyers and has emerged as the general’s main rival in the vote.
“Today the representatives of the people have to decide whether they need a serving army general or a member from the civil society to be president,” Ahmed told The Associated Press.
There was a heavy police presence outside the parliament building in Islamabad, but the city was quiet. Security forces were also deployed outside the four provincial assemblies across Pakistan.
Some 1,170 politicians are entitled to cast their ballots, but some 200 opposition members have quit in protest against Musharraf.
Although the Supreme Court has ruled that official results will have to wait its adjudication of the petitions against Musharraf’s candidacy, the attorney general said yesterday the unofficial result of the election could still be announced after today’s vote.
