Unconstitutional, Unwise

19 September 2007



Pakistan’s Musharraf Will Quit Army if Re-Elected President

President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan is also the military’s chief of staff there. The Supreme Court of that country started in on a debate Monday, which continues, as to whether he could run for re-election without giving up his uniform. The Electoral Commission has already voided the rule that says retiring state servants must wait 2 years before running for office, claiming it doesn’t apply to the presidency. To entice the court to back him, Mr. Musharraf’s lawyer has said the president will leave the army if re-elected.

Sharifuddin Pirzada, the president’s lawyer who is arguing against 6 petitions to deny the general the right to run in uniform for president, told the court, “If elected for a second term as president, General Pervez Musharraf shall relinquish charge of office of chief of army staff soon after election and before taking oath of office as president.”

The opposition isn’t having any of it. Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party [PPP], rightly said in a statement, “Gen Musharraf's decision to get himself re-elected in uniform is both unconstitutional and undemocratic. This kind of bending of electoral rules and constitutional laws will trigger political instability in Pakistan, which the country can ill afford.” Ms. Bhutto has been in negotiations with the regime about a trade off, in which she would be prime minister for a third time in exchange for her support for his re-election. She plans to return to the country in a month to fight the next parliamentary elections that must be held between mid-November and mid-January.

Meanwhile, Raja Zafar ul Haq of the Pakistan Muslim League [Nawaz], he other main opposition force led by Nawaz Sharif, came right out with the truth, “Musharraf cannot even be nominated for election as president of Pakistan as long as he remains in uniform. What he is saying is that, if he is not elected, he will consider other steps to remain in power at all costs.”

Having the entire military at his back gives a candidate an incredible amount of flexibility. It could even allow him to declare another state of emergency or other extra-democratic situation to retain power. If so, Hasan Askari Rizvi, a prominent Pakistani commentator, has suggested, “No matter what measure is taken by Musharraf, ultimately his position will not be tenable given all the opposition to his rule. Even with martial law there will be widespread international as well as domestic reaction.” Just what Pakistan, America’s big ally in the region, needs – civil unrest.

© Copyright 2007 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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