Analysis: Musharraf's Win to End Uncertainty in Pakistan

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, May 02, 2002

Analysis: Musharraf's Win to End Uncertainty in Pakistan

In a biggest-ever voters' turn-out in the country's history, Pervez Musharraf won a land-slide victory in a referendum that ensured him an extra five years as Pakistan's president.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

In a biggest-ever voters' turn-out in the country's history, Pervez Musharraf won a land-slide victory in a referendum that ensured him an extra five years as Pakistan's president.

According to an official announcement, military ruler Musharraf, who toppled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup in October 1999, bagged 98 percent of the total 44 million votes in the Presidential Referendum held on April 30.

Although there are varying accounts of the voters' turn-out, the government claimed it to be nearly 60 percent which is the highest ever in country's over 50 years of political history.

This was the third referendum of its kind in Pakistan. The previous two were held in 1960 and 1984, respectively, both carried out by the then military rulers.

The government attributed the massive turn-out to the increased number of polling stations -- 87,000 polling stations against 43, 000 in last elections, lowering of voting age from 21 to 18 and placing of ballot booths in such never-before-seen places as gas stations, hospitals and prisons to facilitate maximum number of people.

President Musharraf called the referendum to extend his presidency before the deadline is up in October 2002, when the next parliamentary elections are to be held. At the time of his take-over in 1999, the country's apex court endorsed him but gave him three years to introduce reforms and return the country to democracy.

Musharraf says another five years will ensure the continuity of the economic reforms, help eliminate deeply rooted corruption and boost efforts to fight religious extremism.

Analysts say that despite boycott calls from the main opposition and hard-line Islamic groups, the voters' turn-out is a sign of confidence the people reposed in Musharraf to steer the country out of the decade-old political and economic anarchy.

The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) -- an umbrella of Pakistan's main political parties -- urged people to stay at home but failed in its call primarily owing to their politics of opportunism.

The Pakistan Peoples Party of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had celebrated October 12, 1999 -- when the Nawaz Sharif government was overthrown -- as a day of rejoicing. But it was strange for the masses to see the same party joining hand in ARD with Pakistan Muslims League (Nawaz), as the two parties were bitter enemies just a few years ago.

People believe that such a capricious political system is the main root cause of the successive intervention of the armed forces in the country's politics.

As against it, Musharraf has earned the respect of the people for being an up-right man and for his sagacity to lead the country out of troubled waters.

For many Pakistanis, it is better to have a "well-meaning" general like Musharraf in power, who has promised to revive the country's economy, wipe out corruption and sectarianism and return Pakistan to "genuine democracy."

Actually, the major beneficiary of President Musharraf's sweeping victory will be the country's fragile economy which has yet to show robust signs of recovery despite positive gains on some economic front.

Going by the history, foreign investors remained on the side- line, fearing the new government that comes after the October elections may reverse Musharraf's economic reforms. Now that he won in referendum, the victory will provide the much-needed guarantee to these investors vis-a-vis the continuity of these reforms for at least five more years.

The positive outcome of the Presidential Referendum has also done away with the political uncertainty that was caused by the skepticism about the return of former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif before the October elections.

Analysts believe that after a resounding victory of President Musharraf, the coming back of these two back home is but a distant dream.

Moreover, the Referendum has also drawn a clear line between the pro- and anti-reforms lobbies. Musharraf had wanted the "fence sitters" to go one way or the other to get rid of their confused state of mind.

The unambiguous political divide shows that PPP, PML(N) and hard-line Islamic clerics are the real opponents of Musharraf's reforms, while the PML(Q), a major split group of PML(N), Millat party of former President Farooq Leghari, Muttahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf of cricketer-turn- politician Imran Khan, Pakistan Awami Tehrik, a strong religious group, National Awami Party, two split groups of PPP and some other smaller groups comprise the pro-reform lobby.

Given this clear-cut political scenario, it is expected that the environment that leads up to the October elections will be more conducive for a real democracy to return to this country.

However, things will to a great extent depend on the kind of a new political leadership which President Musharraf expects to emerge in the up-coming general elections.

But, keeping in view the unpredictable nature of country's polity, what will happen in the October elections is still anybody 's guess.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Musharraf Wins Referendum

China's First Magnetic Suspension Test Track Built ( 4 Messages)

"Washington Times" at Anti-China Tricks Again ( 5 Messages)

Know Who to Love, Who to Hate ( 65 Messages)

Jiang Calls for Joint Efforts Towards Growth of Sino-US Ties ( 13 Messages)

Protests Prompt Retailer to Pull T-shirts Mocking Chinese-Americans ( 149 Messages)