What Pakistani’s need to do is to carry on with elections, and elect new leaders who take them out of these dark days. BB would not have wanted to derail the democratic process. God Bless her for her courage to carry on the campaigning despite all the threats to her life.
The Bush administration is counting on Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf going ahead with upcoming parliamentary elections despite Benazir Bhutto’s assassination in the hope they will cement steps toward restoring democracy.
Proceeding on or about on schedule with the Jan. 8 election through which Bhutto hoped to return to power is the biggest immediate concern in sustaining an American policy of promoting stability, moderation and democracy in the volatile nuclear-armed nation, U.S. officials said Friday.
Although Bhutto’s death complicates American efforts to broker reconciliation between the opposition and an increasingly unpopular Musharraf, an essential ally in the war on terrorism, her passing is unlikely to prompt any major strategy shift or cuts in billions of dollars in U.S. aid, the officials said.
Re: Bush Administration Pushing Elections in Pakistan Following Bhutto Assassination.
elections are definitely going ahead. ppp will be fully on board because ppp needs to come to power if it wants to hold on to its support base which has not tasted the fruits of power for 10 years and should be pretty demoralised after death of bb. best way to hold on to support base is to offer them a realistic chance of getting to govt.
Re: Bush Administration Pushing Elections in Pakistan Following Bhutto Assassination.
BB is not in elections/ Nawaz shareef boycotted from elections - what is left behind?? who will stand up and what scheme is US playing to get the elections started on time?
Re: Bush Administration Pushing Elections in Pakistan Following Bhutto Assassination.
Well whatever Bush says or not, the fact is that the PPP leaders have so far not pronounced on whether they want elections to continue as planned or not.
In fact apart from Nawaz Sharif (who has a habit of making threats and backtracking later) no other major party has announced a boycott of the elections, after BB's murder? Further Prime Minister Soomro has said they will go ahead.
I believe that President Musharraf is probably in direct contact with the PPP leadership himself gaining their views, before he makes the final decision as to whether they go ahead or not. The "PPP Leadership" has two choices, in that:-
If they announce that they want elections to go ahead as planned on the 8th January, then with the huge wave of sympathy for them they will probably win a handsome majority outright. They would certainly sweep Sindh clean, and not need the MQM to form a government. They could even win a majority or close to it in Punjab, robbing the PML Q of it's power base, - though if the PML Nawaz does go ahead with it's boycott, that could be harder, as their votes would by default would got the Q league.
If they advise that the elections should be delayed i.e. for a few months, until they elect a new leader etc, then you could see the PPP splinter left, right and centre in a bloody and protracted leadership contest. After all it is the Bhutto name that made the PPP and held it together, without which it will fast collapse, so time is not on their side.
Re: Bush Administration Pushing Elections in Pakistan Following Bhutto Assassination.
Well whatever Bush says or not, the fact is that the PPP leaders have so far not pronounced on whether they want elections to continue as planned or not.
In fact apart from Nawaz Sharif (who has a habit of making threats and backtracking later) no other major party has announced a boycott of the elections, after BB's murder? Further Prime Minister Soomro has said they will go ahead.
I believe that President Musharraf is probably in direct contact with the PPP leadership himself gaining their views, before he makes the final decision as to whether they go ahead or not. The "PPP Leadership" has two choices, in that:-
If they announce that they want elections to go ahead as planned on the 8th January, then with the huge wave of sympathy for them they will probably win a handsome majority outright. They would certainly sweep Sindh clean, and not need the MQM to form a government. They could even win a majority or close to it in Punjab, robbing the PML Q of it's power base, - though if the PML Nawaz does go ahead with it's boycott, that could be harder, as their votes would by default would got the Q league.
If they advise that the elections should be delayed i.e. for a few months, until they elect a new leader etc, then you could see the PPP splinter left, right and centre in a bloody and protracted leadership contest. After all it is the Bhutto name that made the PPP and held it together, without which it will fast collapse, so time is not on their side.
Wasn't Makhdoom Amin Fahim the deputy leader of PPP?
Re: Bush Administration Pushing Elections in Pakistan Following Bhutto Assassination.
It was going to be a sham elections anyway because of the planned rigging. Now with BB dead and NS out of the field if the elections go ahead they will not have any credibility. The best course is for a truly national govt with people from all parties, minus Musharraf and than elections in a years time.
Re: Bush Administration Pushing Elections in Pakistan Following Bhutto Assassination.
It was going to be a sham elections anyway because of the planned rigging. Now with BB dead and NS out of the field if the elections go ahead they will not have any credibility. The best course is for a truly national govt with people from all parties, minus Musharraf and than elections in a years time.
do you think bush concerns himself with the details?
it's all about appearances.
Re: Bush Administration Pushing Elections in Pakistan Following Bhutto Assassination.
Wasn't Makhdoom Amin Fahim the deputy leader of PPP?
He is actually the leader of the parliamentary party - PPPP, and the one whom Musharraf wanted to be Prime Minister after the 2002 elections. They had a "surprise" meeting at some Pindi eating place, which was supposed to have sealed the deal. It was said that BB scupppered it, because she thought Fahim would emerge as a potential rival to her. Now he must provide leadership to the party and make the hard decisions whether to take part in the elections or not.
Re: Bush Administration Pushing Elections in Pakistan Following Bhutto Assassination.
British PM saying the same thing, and pledging support for President Musharraf.
British PM urges Musharraf to stick to democracy
LONDON: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke to President Pervez Musharraf on Friday and urged him to “stick to the course” of democracy and stability following the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. **Brown called the killing a “cowardly terrorist act” designed to destabilise elections set for January 8. “**The international community is united in its outrage and determination that those who stoop to such tactics shall not prevail,” Brown said in a statement released after he had spoken to Musharraf on the phone. “I therefore encouraged President Musharraf to stick to the course he has outlined to build democracy and stability in Pakistan.”
Brown emphasised Musharraf’s role as an ally of the United States and Britain in their battle against Al Qaeda and Taliban militants in Afghanistan. “This deadly attack is also a potent reminder of the threat we face from terror. Pakistan is a major ally in the global effort to combat this menace,” said Brown. “I told President Musharraf that the UK is prepared to sustain and build the already significant counter-terrorism support we offer his country, not least in the effort to destroy Al Qaeda.”
Re: Bush Administration Pushing Elections in Pakistan Following Bhutto Assassination.
British PM saying the same thing, and pledging support for President Musharraf.
Well, there appears to be no other alternatives in Pakistani politics. PPP has a void without Benazir Bhutto, and no one knows what will happen to the party. PML (N) is flip-flopping. What alternative Pakistan has at this important juncture, and who else the West can trust with a Nuclear Armed Pakistan to help ride out the storm?
Re: Bush Administration Pushing Elections in Pakistan Following Bhutto Assassination.
JUI-F wants to go ahead with polls
PESHAWAR: The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam–Fazl (JUI-F) on Friday demanded timely general elections, while the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) called for the postponement of the January 8 polls. The JUI-F and JI are major components of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA). JUI-F NWFP chief Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan said the elections should be held on time because any delay in this regard would create more chaos that would go beyond the control of the government. He said timely elections were necessary to transfer power to elected representatives. The Awami National Party (ANP) said the election issue should be decided in consultation with all political parties including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Re: Bush Administration Pushing Elections in Pakistan Following Bhutto Assassination.
I truly hope that the elections go through as soon as possible. You can't keep on delaying it forever. Also, its not like the legitimacy of the election are not going to be questioned if it is held at a later date. The losing parties will always cry that the fix was in no matter what the surrounding circumstances are.