It seems Musharraf is on his way to be re-elected in uniform by these assemblies in just 7 weeks time. After that BB maybe on her way home.
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=9288
**Benazir agrees to Musharraf’s re-election in uniform **
Former prime minister and Pakistan People’s Party Chairperson Benazir Bhutto has given a consent to accept President Gen Pervez Musharraf for the second term in uniform, saying she would not oppose his re-election in September-October this year. “A broad-based understanding between President Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto was reached in Abu Dhabi,” said a source privy to this development, which surprised the Sharif brothers, the religio-political parties, the one-man Tehrik-e-Insaaf and other minor political outfits now knitted together in the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM). The understanding, said the source, was worked out through the president’s close aide and Secretary National Security Council Tariq Aziz. The understanding, which covers various parts with different phases, would facilitate President Musharraf’s re-election for a second five-year term between September 15 and October 15 this year. “Benazir has assured that her party legislators both at parliament and the provincial assemblies would abstain from the presidential election process without raising the issue of the uniform at any forum including the superior court,” said the source. The modus oper andi of this Musharraf-Benazir understanding would give a clear edge to President Musharraf to be re-elected with a claimed 56 per cent majority in the electoral college for the presidential polls. “We have 56 per cent of the total electorates with us and there is no difficulty to see President Musharraf through with a constitutional requirement of returning with simple majority,” disclosed the official, who helped Tariq Aziz in giving fine-tuning to this first phase of the broad-based understanding and its operationalisation.
In this phase of broad-based understanding the issues of Benazir’s return to the country, president-in-uniform beyond November 16, 2007 (the date after which the president cannot enjoy waiver given to him under the LFO), and lifting the condition of third term for Benazir as prime minister or her decision of contesting elections were not sorted out and it was decided to tackle these matters when the time comes. A lot more time is left for these matters to be taken up for final settlement. “Benazir’s key demand of holding free and fair elections in real terms was accepted by President General Musharraf,” said the official, adding “The president has given full assurance to that extent”. The acceptance of this key demand by Benazir, said the official, holds all the good and honour for her as it was agreed between the two that if PPP gets majority in the forthcoming general elections the president or the caretaker government would not come in its way of forming the government. The source said Benazir expressed her confidence that her party would get majority in the polls and it would be her party’s right to form the government and take decisions which would help her in many ways. “If I would be an elected prime minister, I would like to have a strong president like Musharraf so that we can jointly deal with militancy, extremism and terrorism,” Benazir was quoted as saying to one of his confidant before she left London to meet President Musharraf in Abu Dhabi. That comments made a significant impact on the president’s camp, which started thinking giving up opposition to Benazir’s entry into the main stage. This time, said the official, Bhutto seems careful not to annoy her party workers and she does not want to have negative impact of this understanding on her voters in the polls likely to be held early next year. She has reportedly agreed that the president would continue to enjoy waiver in four categories: First, in uniform, second, holding of double office, third, his election after two years of leaving a government office and four, holding of an office of profit. The president was granted waiver on these four conditions under Article 41(7-b) and Article 41(8), which paved way for him to get re-elected in September/October this year, a constitutional requirement. In the light of Article 41(8) no one can call his election as president in question in any court or forum on any ground whatsoever till November 16 and once he occupies the office he along with Benazir would work out the mutual future political strategy. Sources privy to this major political development say that further issues would be sorted in due course of time, as any discussion on these matters at this time of point might jeopardise the entire efforts of bringing Benazir and her party on board. “We appreciate the cooperation being extended by the PPP to the president and the government in the recent past, and actually this helps the two becoming closer and finally sitting for talks in Abu Dhabi,” said the official. “Similarly the issue of appointing caretakers has not yet come up for discussion,” he added. “Hamid Nasir Chattha being former friend of Benazir Bhutto would not be the choice as caretaker prime minister, as it was agreed to appoint a neutral capable person to be the caretaker prime minister,” said the official. The PPP chairperson is expected to take her party leaders into confidence in coming weeks, though the president’s camp has already taken the PML, MQM and coalition partners in confidence and surprisingly no one raised any objection. It has also been decided that no seats-adjustment between PPP and PML would take place and they would be pitted against each other like normal candidates.
