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Pakistan's
President Again Promises Elections After Protests and Criticism |
Posted:
11.12.07
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Violent clashes last week in Pakistan between anti-government
protesters and police renewed pressure on Pakistan's President
Gen. Pervez Musharraf to steer the country toward a true democracy.
Printer-friendly version: PDF
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Musharraf declared a state of emergency in Pakistan Nov. 3,
suspending the constitution and firing the chief judge of the
Supreme Court, claiming he needed complete control of the country
to combat Islamic terrorism.
 The
Supreme Court was reportedly close to ruling on the legality of
Musharraf's October re-election when the justice was removed.
Thousands of Pakistanis protested in the streets over the imposition
of emergency rule and many were arrested during rallies in support
of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, a former Pakistani prime
minister. Bhutto recently returned to the country after being
in self-imposed exile for eight years and has been pushing Musharraf
to hold elections.
After pressure from President Bush, Musharraf announced Sunday
that parliamentary elections would be held by Jan. 9, 2008, but
he said emergency rule would continue until that time.
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Election
pressure |
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The elusive election has been a hot topic in Pakistan all year.
Musharraf is widely considered a dictator because he has never
been elected president by the public and he has continued to expand
his dominance in the government over his eight years in office.
In addition to being president, he holds the position of general
of the military. Many Pakistanis believe he should drop the military
aspect of his job and stop wearing his military uniform if he
wishes to remain president.
 His
reelection last month as president was controversial, and it was
believed the Supreme Court would have found him ineligible for
another term if it had been able to deliver its verdict before
the state of emergency was declared.
The United States has also called on Musharraf to step down in
his role as general, and U.S. State Department spokesman Sean
McCormack told reporters he should "roll back the state of
emergency, reinstate constitutional rule and put Pakistan firmly
back on that pathway to democracy."
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Musharraf
in power |
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Musharraf became Pakistan's leader in 1999 in a coup overthrowing
then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Musharraf was the army chief
at the time and had the military's support. 
The coup was bloodless and was over in less than a day. Musharraf
promised to hold elections within three years. He declared himself
president in 2000, but instead of holding the election he promised,
he held a referendum in 2002 to extend his presidency by five
years and granted himself new powers.
"It gave him these unlimited powers, establishing a one
person, all powerful presidency that was never approved by any
elected body," Walter Andersen, associate director for South
Asia studies at the School of Advanced International Studies at
Johns Hopkins University, told the Online NewsHour.
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Pakistan
and the war on terror |
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The United States is particularly concerned about Pakistan being
in a state of unrest because the country has been its biggest
regional ally in the war on terrorism. It is also concerned because
Pakistan has nuclear weapons.
 After
the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks Musharraf aligned himself with the
United States and agreed to go after terror suspects within Pakistan.
The decision was not popular with many Pakistanis, in part because
the Taliban has deep roots and many family connections in the
country, and also because the United States and President Bush
are not popular in the primarily Muslim region.
Musharraf has been a pivotal ally to the United States since
then, though he has been criticized for not doing more to root
out Taliban members living near the border with Afghanistan.
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A violent
year |
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 This
year has been a particularly volatile one for Pakistan. In a violent
raid in July, Pakistani army commanders seized Islamabad's Red
Mosque, forcing the surrender of clerics, militants and
students holed up inside. More than 100 people were killed.
Violence also erupted in the country when Bhutto returned from
exile in October. During a parade to celebrate her return, bombs
went off in the crowd, killing more than 120 people.
Bhutto has been exploring the option of a power sharing agreement
with Musharraf, which could potentially unite two conflicting
groups. But his dropping popularity and controversial decisions
makes that a less desirable partnership.
--Compiled
by Talea Miller for NewsHour Extra
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