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MASOOD
HAIDER: HOLLOW VICTORY FOR GEN. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTANIS AWAIT SUPREME COURT
DECISION: 07/10/2007 (MaximsNews Network)
UNITED NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network /
- 07 October 2007 --
Pakistani President Gen. Musharraf's sweeping victory in Saturday's boycotted
presidential election climaxed months of political suspense and thrills
bordering on high drama, but the curtain has yet to fall.
His
"triumph", marred by protests and partial strikes in some cities,
also created a bit of history-- he is the only serving general to be elected
to the country's highest office TWICE!
But his victory is incomplete.
On Friday, the Supreme Court of Pakistan came
out with a unique verdict on petitions seeking Musharraf's disqualification on
the plea that he is holding two offices, something not allowed by the
Constitution.
While
allowing the Oct 6 election to go ahead, the court said it would rule later
whether the general is eligible to run for the office in uniform.
"Unbelievable," was how many Pakistanis reacted. The country's
controversial Election Commission has not, therefore, certified his election
through an electoral college comprising federal parliament and four provincial
assemblies.
The court now hangs over Musharraf's head like the Sword of Damocles, leaving
him withering in tension he has been in since March 9, the day he made the
disastrous decision of firing the country's Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry.
The
independent-minded judge showed rare mettle: he fought the charges of
mismanagement in the Supreme Court as masses rallied behind him, sparking a
pro-democracy movement.
The court threw out the charges against him and
restored him to his position.
The same court with resume hearing on Oct. 17 to finally decide whether
Musharraf stays in the cozy presidential palace or is sent out into the cold.
More suspense and tension for him before the curtain finally comes down.
Experts
says that if the court ultimately hands in an adverse decision against
Musharraf, the army might take over the country, for there is too much at
stake for one of the most privileged armed forces in the world.
Nudged by the United States, Gen. Musharraf entered into a deal with former
prime minister Benazir Bhutto, whose populous Pakistan People's Party (PPP) is
the country's largest.
The
Americans are doing this in their self-interest. They have a huge stake in the
general's survival-- he is their point man in the war on terrorism.
Linkage
with the PPP would widen Musharraf's narrow base of support. The main factor
behind bringing about rapprochement between Musharraf and Bhutto -- two rivals
but moderates -- is to ensure that US allies remain in power in nuclear-armed
Pakistan.
The general cleared the hurdles for Bhutto by promulgating a decree that drops
all corruption-related charges that led her to go into exile eight years
ago.
The
legislation has caused an uproar within his Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and
it has already been challenged in a high court.
The deal with not benefit
Nawaz Sharif, who leads his own PML.
Sharif, also a former prime minister, who was forced into exile by Musharraf
when he returned to Pakistan from London.
In a signal to the Supreme Court, President Musharraf has named General Ashfaq
Parvez Kayani, a loyalist, vice army chief, who would take over the army after
Musharraf's election is cleared by the court.
Once
that happens, the Pakistani leader will become Mr.Musharraf, wielding
considerably less power.
The next two weeks promise to be suspenseful again
and will set Pakistan's direction.
MasoodHaider@MaximsNews.com
Labels: United
Nations, U.N.,
~~~~~
MaximsNews.com, An Independent Voice from the
U.N., provides commentary and analysis from
leading world figures: King Abdullah II
(Jordan), HRH Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein
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Masood Haider, Kerry
Kennedy, Ian Williams, Stephen Schlesinger, Sen.
Timothy E. Wirth, Marc Morial, Amb. Jayantha
Dhanapala (Sri Lanka), Amb. Pierre Schori
(Sweden), Amb. William H. Luers, Susan Roosevelt
Weld, Rory Kennedy, Mehri
Madarshahi, J. Michael Adams, Gloria Feldt,
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Bommer, Rory
O'Connor, Genevieve Stamper, Max Stamper and
others.
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