Pakistan Counts Vote In Crucial Election

Musharraf's Fate, Direction Of Country At Stake As Country Votes Under Shadow Of Violence

(CBS/AP)  Pakistan's embattled president appealed for unity Monday after parliamentary elections aimed at bolstering democracy and calming political turmoil. But fear and apathy kept millions of voters at home, raising the prospect of no clear winner and a government too fragmented to rally the nation against Islamic extremism.

Counting began soon after the polls closed and results started trickling in late Monday. But final official returns were not expected before Wednesday. Pakistani private television stations reported strong showings by the two main opposition parties in early unofficial tallies.

Balloting proceeded without major attacks, although the opposition party of assassinated ex-prime minister Benzir Bhutto claimed 15 of its members were killed and hundreds injured in scattered violence "deliberately engineered to deter voters."

Officials confirmed 24 people were killed from Sunday night in election-related violence, mostly in the country's biggest province of Punjab, the key electoral battleground.

President Pervez Musharraf was not on the ballot, but the election was widely seen as a referendum on his eight-year rule -- including his alliance with the United States in the war on terrorism that many Pakistanis oppose.

Musharraf's approval ratings have plummeted since last year's declaration of emergency rule and his purging of the judiciary to safeguard his October re-election.

Going into the election, two public opinion surveys predicted that Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party would finish first, followed by the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League-Q was seen trailing in third.

Mark Siegel (at left), a long-time friend and speech writer to Bhutto based in Washington, told CBS News that the three largest opposition parties combined expected to win a whopping majority of the votes.

"There is no question that, in any free and fair election, the secular democratic parties led by the PPP would win a sweeping two-thirds victory. Two-thirds victory, of course, could be terribly important because two-thirds can bring down… impeach a president," said Siegel, who collaborated on a book by Bhutto which was published posthumously.

An overwhelming victory by the opposition could leave Musharraf politically weakened at a time when the United States is pressing him to take more robust action against al Qaeda and Taliban militias operating in Pakistan.

With his political future in the balance, Musharraf pledged to work with the new government regardless of which party wins.

"I will give them full cooperation as president, whatever is my role," Musharraf said after casting his ballot in Rawalpindi. "Confrontationist policies ... should end and we should come into conciliatory politics in the interest of Pakistan. The situation demands this."

The state Associated Press of Pakistan news agency reported unofficial returns as awarding the first two seats to Bhutto's party, and partial results carried by private TV networks also suggested a strong performance by Sharif's opposition party.

"I'm very happy but we have to struggle," said Sadiq ul-Farooq, a senior official in Sharif's party. "We face serious problems -- the economy, law and order and then the problem of terrorism which is 70 percent because of President Musharraf. He has to go."

In the north, prominent pro-Taliban cleric Maulana Fazl-ur Rehman was trailing far behind his rival from Bhutto's party with more than half the precincts in their constituency reporting.

The United States, Musharraf's strongest international backer, had been anxious for a credible election to shore up democratic forces at a time of mounting concern over political unrest in this nuclear-armed nation and a growing al Qaeda and Taliban presence in the northwest.

"Every single vote must be counted fairly, and the numbers must be transmitted so decisions can be made," U.S. Democratic Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, one of several American lawmakers who monitored the voting.

[rowdytexan2]

Prayers going up that the Pakistani people get their country back!

Good luck!

[joyous88]

if this vote is legal and honest, unlike voteing in amerika;
the people of pakistan will vote to be rid of the interference of the USA;
to be rid of american greed driven conservatives;
to be rid of amerikan ''family values'' values that allow us to bomb anyone we please, create millions of refugees and take no responsibility for them,

thank our mindless christian voter for electing bush

[ikb714]

Sir,
Dare to raise your voice for the inevitable socio-political change in Pakistan, to empower the Pakistani , the country belongs too.


Since the creation of Pakistan the Pakistani people are left at distant from the corridor of power so that the ruling elite can do what they wanted to do in favour of their interest, leaving the Pakistani people at the mercy of circumstances. As this policy is denial of right of Pakistani people to rule their country according to their aspiration and desire to built this country, which can provide equal opportunity to all without any discrimination for the establishment of welfare society. Only the society base on tolerance, equality and justice can be the real guarantee for the prosperous and strong Pakistan there for your intention is invited to the crucial movement which could be the point of distraction or disaster.


Kindly see web site%u2026.www.idp.org.pk

Kindly acknowledge with your comments.


Ilyas khan Baloch
Organizer Islamic Democratic Party

[dargay]

It will be an interesting paper one day to examine why the Western media is utterly obsessed with Pervez Musharraf.