Pakistan Opposition Parties Win Majority

Musharraf's Party Concedes Defeat; Unofficial Results Show Bhutto's Party In Lead

(CBS/AP)  Pakistan's opposition parties have won parliamentary elections, threatening the eight-year rule of President Pervez Musharraf, Washington's close ally in its war on terror, unofficial returns showed Tuesday.

The party of slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was in the lead in Monday's parliamentary vote, with ex-premier Nawaz Sharif - who was toppled in Musharraf's 1999 coup and has emerged as his fiercest critic - running a close second.

The private Geo TV network said the two parties had so far won 139 seats, more than half of the 272-seat National Assembly.

Final official results were not expected before Wednesday, but Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, head of Musharraf's Pakistan Muslim League-Q, conceded the resounding defeat.

He told AP Television News, "we accept the results with an open heart" and "will sit on opposition benches" in the new parliament."

Two of Musharraf's close political allies - the chairman of the ruling party and the outgoing railways minister - both lost seats in Punjab, the most populous province and a key electoral battleground.

Sharif said Tuesday that Musharraf should step down in light of the election outcome.

He told reporters that Musharraf had said he would quit when people "want him to do so."

"And now the people have given their verdict," Sharif told reporters.

Fear and apathy kept millions of voters at home. But while at least 24 people were killed in election-related violence, the country was spared the type of Islamic militant attacks that scarred the campaign, most notably the assassination of Bhutto.

There have been concerns among analysts that a lack of a clear winner could result in a government too fragmented to rally the nation against Islamic extremists.

Balloting proceeded without major attacks, although Bhutto's party claimed that 15 of its members had been killed and hundreds injured in scattered violence "deliberately engineered to deter voters."

Officials confirmed 24 deaths in election-related violence over the previous 24 hours, mostly in Punjab.

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 against terrorist groups that many Pakistanis oppose.

Musharraf's approval ratings have plummeted since his declaration of emergency rule in November and his purge of the judiciary to safeguard his re-election by the previous parliament a few weeks earlier.

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"Only On The Web": Mark Phillips Talks with Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., about the Pakistan election and how U.S. interests may be affected.

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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 fighters based in Pakistan's restive northwestern region along the Afghan border.

It appeared, however, unlikely given the unofficial returns that the opposition parties would win the two-thirds majority in the parliament necessary to impeach Musharraf.

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."

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 district reporting.

The U.S. government, Musharraf's strongest international backer, was 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," said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat who was one of several American lawmakers monitoring the election.

Lee said that an "effective government for the people of Pakistan" was America's "great concern."

Despite the stakes, it appeared most of the country's 81 million voters stayed home - either out of fear of extremist attacks or lack of enthusiasm for the candidates, many of whom waged lackluster campaigns.

Sarwar Bari of the nonprofit Free and Fair Elections Network said reports from his group's 20,000 election observers indicated voter turnout was about 35 percent. That would be the same as in the 1997 election - the lowest in Pakistan's history.

[poopusbuttus]

TO THE POOR: YOU''''RE BEING LIED TO. THE DEMOCRATS WILL NOT SAVE YOU. YOU ARE BEING COERCED TO VOTE FOR SHAM ARTISTS.

EDUCATE YOURSELVES. BECOME PART OF THE WORKING FORCE. CLIMB THE LADDER AS HIGH AS YOU CAN EXCEPT STAYING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LADDER AND GETTING HIGH.

WORK WORK WORK. SAVE SAVE SAVE. THEN, YOU WILL HAVE THE CLOUT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. BECOME REPUBLICANS.

HILLARY WILL NOT SAVE YOU. OBAMA WILL NOT SAVE YOU. THE DEMOCRATS WILL NOT SAVE YOU.

[mbcsmith]

"...Musharraf, Washington''''s close ally in its war on terror..."

With friends like him, it''''s working out great for OBL...


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Posted by actornaught at 12:20 PM : Feb 19, 2008


Yeah, those *** freely elected leaders of a Democratic country. I suppose you''re a Castro lover.

[mbcsmith]

Once again we, the U.S., face the prospect of reaping the consequences of backing a dictator over the country''''s people. If B. Buto were alive, things might be different, but unfortunately she is not. Longterm, you cannot trade your soul to the devil and not expect unfortunate consequences. Did we learn nothing from the Cold War? Posted by LawyerTom1 at 02:22 PM : Feb 19, 2008

Gee lawyer, would a dictator hold free elections and give up power after losing. You''re not very bright are you.

Ever see two lawyers sue each other? It''s called bikini mud wrestling.

[mbcsmith]

AQ is not in Africa, but in Pakistan. Not quite the same place. Good deeds on one continent do not forgive utter stupidity where the black hats hang out.


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Posted by LawyerTom1 at 02:25 PM : Feb 19, 2008


FYI there lawyer, AQ is most certainly and heavily entrenched in Africa. What do you call 100 lawyers at the bottom of lake Michigan? A good start.

[denn034]

Here''s hoping all the best to Pakistan.

[hungry1968]

"Republicans plan to seize on an allegation...."

"Republicans are focusing on an allegation in a recent boo...."

Posted by terrorislam9 at 02:26 PM : Feb 19, 2008




You post comments like this as facts?

You''re kidding right?

[lawyertom1]

terrorislam9. I am glad that the Shrub is doing some good in Africa, and contrary to your assertion it has been widely reported. God knows Africa needs assistance after being ignored for so long. But, unfortunately, AQ is not in Africa, but in Pakistan. Not quite the same place. Good deeds on one continent do not forgive utter stupidity where the black hats hang out.

[lawyertom1]

Once again we, the U.S., face the prospect of reaping the consequences of backing a dictator over the country''s people. If B. Buto were alive, things might be different, but unfortunately she is not. Longterm, you cannot trade your soul to the devil and not expect unfortunate consequences. Did we learn nothing from the Cold War? Oh, yah, that''s right. The Shrub does not read and was a marginal, drunken, cocaine snorting "student" at a school where daddy bought his way in.

[ozonmojo]

Both Zardari and Shariff are thoroughly proven crooks.Now that "democracy " has put the two in power,the people of Pakistan will be robbed blind once again and they would dream for another military dictator.

[secundus2]

The People''s Party of the late Mrs. Bhutto and Muslim League-N (Nawaz Sharif''s faction) may oppose Musharraf, but otherwise they are not close allies. More likely is an alliance between the People''s Party and Musharraf''s faction of the Muslim League (minus Musharraf). Not a bad outcome for the US.