bahamiangoddess
02-18-08, - 10:29 PM
Musharraf calls for unity as his party falters
Two key allies lose in vote seen as a referendum on rule of Pakistani leader
updated 1 hour, 2 minutes ago
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -
President Pervez Musharraf appealed for national unity as unofficial returns showed the opposition taking commanding leads early Tuesday in parliamentary elections aimed at bolstering democracy and calming political strife.
Fear and apathy kept millions of voters at home during Monday's vote. 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 opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.
State-run television early Tuesday gave the two main opposition parties strong leads in early unofficial tallies, a trend conceded by the president's Pakistan Muslim League-Q party. Final official results were not expected before Wednesday.
"As far as we are concerned, we will be willing to sit on opposition benches if final results prove that we have lost. This is the trend," party spokesman Tariq Azeem said.
If the vote pattery continues, it will ease concerns that lack of a clear winner could result in a government too fragmented to rally the nation against Islamic extremists.
Political allies defeated
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.
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.
More than 12 hours after counting began, state-run Pakistan TV said early Tuesday that unofficial tallies were complete for more than 100 of the 268 parliament seats being contested. It gave Bhutto and Sharif's parties nearly 70 percent of the vote, with Sharif's party leading.
Key U.S. ally in dire straits
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-Qaida and Taliban fighters based in Pakistan's restive northwestern region along the Afghan border.
With his political future in the balance, Musharraf pledged to work with the new government regardless of which party wins.
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.
U.S. lawmakers act as observers
"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.
With turnout so low, it was unclear whether the ruling party machinery was more successful in getting its supporters to the polls, especially in Punjab, its political base.
Opposition officials warned the government against trying to manipulate the results during the laborious count, saying there could be street protests if the count was rigged.
Fears of vote-rigging
"People came out today and they voted for us. But we are hearing that their votes will be stolen after darkness, and we will not tolerate it," opposition politician Shahbaz Sharif said on Geo television. "Those who want to rob our votes should listen that we will not allow them to do it."
Police arrested an election official after 600 ballot papers went missing from a polling station in the southern city of Shikarpur, police official Ali Mohammed Shahni said.
While fears of attack deterred some voters, sympathy for Bhutto and disaffection over rising food prices compelled others to take the risk and go to the polls.
"My vote is for the PPP," said Munir Ahmed Tariq, a retired police officer in Nawab Shah. "If there is rigging this time, there will be a severe reaction. This is a sentiment of this nation."
A nearby, segregated polling station for women, was empty — a reflection of conservative attitudes in Pakistan's tribal belt.
Two key allies lose in vote seen as a referendum on rule of Pakistani leader
updated 1 hour, 2 minutes ago
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -
President Pervez Musharraf appealed for national unity as unofficial returns showed the opposition taking commanding leads early Tuesday in parliamentary elections aimed at bolstering democracy and calming political strife.
Fear and apathy kept millions of voters at home during Monday's vote. 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 opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.
State-run television early Tuesday gave the two main opposition parties strong leads in early unofficial tallies, a trend conceded by the president's Pakistan Muslim League-Q party. Final official results were not expected before Wednesday.
"As far as we are concerned, we will be willing to sit on opposition benches if final results prove that we have lost. This is the trend," party spokesman Tariq Azeem said.
If the vote pattery continues, it will ease concerns that lack of a clear winner could result in a government too fragmented to rally the nation against Islamic extremists.
Political allies defeated
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.
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.
More than 12 hours after counting began, state-run Pakistan TV said early Tuesday that unofficial tallies were complete for more than 100 of the 268 parliament seats being contested. It gave Bhutto and Sharif's parties nearly 70 percent of the vote, with Sharif's party leading.
Key U.S. ally in dire straits
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-Qaida and Taliban fighters based in Pakistan's restive northwestern region along the Afghan border.
With his political future in the balance, Musharraf pledged to work with the new government regardless of which party wins.
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.
U.S. lawmakers act as observers
"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.
With turnout so low, it was unclear whether the ruling party machinery was more successful in getting its supporters to the polls, especially in Punjab, its political base.
Opposition officials warned the government against trying to manipulate the results during the laborious count, saying there could be street protests if the count was rigged.
Fears of vote-rigging
"People came out today and they voted for us. But we are hearing that their votes will be stolen after darkness, and we will not tolerate it," opposition politician Shahbaz Sharif said on Geo television. "Those who want to rob our votes should listen that we will not allow them to do it."
Police arrested an election official after 600 ballot papers went missing from a polling station in the southern city of Shikarpur, police official Ali Mohammed Shahni said.
While fears of attack deterred some voters, sympathy for Bhutto and disaffection over rising food prices compelled others to take the risk and go to the polls.
"My vote is for the PPP," said Munir Ahmed Tariq, a retired police officer in Nawab Shah. "If there is rigging this time, there will be a severe reaction. This is a sentiment of this nation."
A nearby, segregated polling station for women, was empty — a reflection of conservative attitudes in Pakistan's tribal belt.