A marriage of convenience?

No, they're not getting married in the literal sense. But President Pervez Musharraf and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto seem to have formalized their power-sharing partnership.

This is probably a good development in terms of gradually transforming Pakistan from a mostly benevolent dictatorship into a democratic good neighbor (no doubt India will always have reservations about Pakistan).

clipped from www.thenews.com.pk ISLAMABAD: Breakthrough has been reported Thursday in the talks for national consensus between government and Pakistan Peoples Party. According to Geo News the National Reconciliation Ordinance being given final touches under which former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and all other important political leaders will be granted amnesty and all political cases registered against them will be withdrawn.

Big move in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court’s larger bench Tuesday adjourned hearing of constitutional petitions against president’s holding dual offices, till tomorrow (Wednesday).

The president’s counsel in the Supreme Court, Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada filed a written statement in the court today that General Musharraf would doff uniform after his re-election as president for another term.
(The News)

Apparently the deal between Bhutto and Musharraf got finalized. This appears to firm up the Pakistani government considerably. Good news for all concerned except radical Islamists, I trust.



*****

Problems persist in Pakistani politics

ISLAMABAD: The much-touted power-sharing deal between Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and former Premier Benazir Bhutto has collapsed over her demand that prime ministers must be allowed a third term, a minister considered close to the General has said.

"It is finished. The President said 'no'. If you insist, there are very thin chances of salvaging it - just 1 or 2 per cent," Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad was quoted by 'Dawn' on Saturday as saying.
(Times of India)

Musharraf either needs to work a compromise or tighten his (death?)grip on power. Strong-arming his way to re-election won't make him more popular. The U.S. government isn't likely to be pleased, either.

Pakistan viewed from afar: Musharraf needs Bhutto

President (dictator) Pervez Musharraf remains on the hot seat in Pakistan.

Musharraf is unpopular, and he is having trouble finding issues that reverse the downward trend of his popularity. He gained a bit of Pakistani "street cred" earlier this year by allowing to stand a Supreme Court ruling that went against him. Within the past few weeks, the court kneecapped Musharraf by finding that he doesn't have the power to exile a native Pakistani, such as the leader Musharraf ousted when he seized power to cap a military coup.

This is not the type of thing that bolsters the power of a military dictator.

Musharraf at least appears (who really knows the hearts of men?) to have Pakistan's best interests at heart, but his regime remains at risk of being toppled. To keep that from happening, Musharraf has pursued a political reconciliation with the Pakistan People's Party. Musharraf apparently believes that PPP support will solidify his standing, so he has made overtures to another exiled Pakistan political figure, Benazir Bhutto.

Bhutto has made Musharraf's life miserable by placing some firm conditions on her cooperation--the type of thing that Musharraf won't do willingly--like separate the position of President from the control of the military. Bhutto has insisted that Musharraf give up the uniform as president and while running for re-election. That disagreement has simmered for some time, with recent reports indicating imminent compromise.

ISLAMABAD: Negotiators trying to thrash out a power-sharing deal between Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and self-exiled former premier Benazir Bhutto in fresh talks achieved a breakthrough on Tuesday, the PPP sources said.

At a meeting in Dubai they focused on Musharraf's powers over the Pakistani parliament and on forthcoming presidential and general elections, Pakistan People's Party spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
(The News)

Complicating matters still further, the in-country PPP leadership says it doesn't support Musharraf regardless of what Bhutto says. And the ousted former president is due back in the country (he says) any day, now.

Whither Pakistan?

Pakistan's political reconciliation continues to inch along bumpy path

A fair percentage of the headlines at The News, the Pakistani news outlet I check for early-breaking events, are a mystery.

Like this one: MMA vows to resist if BB comes from backdoor

There's just no way I know what that means without reading below the headline.

PESHAWAR: MMA president Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that resistance would be made if Benazir Bhutto tries to come into power from backdoor after a deal with General Musharraf.
(The News)

A-ha. I dimly suspected that "BB" might be Benazir Bhutto, the exiled political figure that Musharraf has courted (in the political sense) to assist in unifying Pakistan against extremist factions. Apparently the rest of the MMA doesn't appreciate her just waltzing back into the country and cutting deals without consulting them about it.

He said that Benazir Bhutto’s deal with General Musharraf would mean that she supports the General and he would not accept any deal.

It's almost enough to make me do a parody of an old Rolling Stones tune. "Sympathy for a Military Dictator." I'll have an easier time coming up with the rhymes than Musharraf will have in unifying Pakistan.

Musharraf offers baby-step toward compromise with Bhutto

Benazir Bhutto of the Pakistan People's Party wants the presidency separated from the military.

Bhutto was drawn back to the political stage by President and head of the military Pervez Musharraf. As I've noted in previous posts, Bhutti doesn't want to be played like a pawn, so she's trying to use what leverage she has to squeeze Musharraf out of the military.

Musharraf today stuck with his insistence that he will stand for re-election in uniform, and offered continued talks on the uniform/military issue after the elections.

“The talks on the uniform issue could be held after the holding of the forthcoming general elections,” he was quoted as saying.
(The News)

Is it much of a compromise? Probably not, from Bhutto's perspective. As dictator, Musharraf can change his mind on a dime, and Bhutto is a Musharraf's mercy in that respect.

The ball is in her court for now.

Pakistan People's Party leader Bhutto unwilling to compromise ... so far

The political dance continues in Pakistan.

President Pervez Musharraf brought Benazir Bhutto out of exile to establish a show of unity against violent radicals in Waziristan.

Bhutto is trying to make the most of the opening by publicly calling for Musharraf to separate his presidency from leadership of the armed forces.

Bhutto wants some assurance that Musharraf won't stuff her in the coal bin once the crisis is under control. Musharraf wants a failsafe hold on power just in case the elections turn in a crazy/dangerous result (or maybe even just in case his power is threatened, period--I'm inclined to grant the benefit of the doubt).

NEW YORK: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto said that her party would not accept President Pervez Musharraf in uniform.

Responding to a question regarding the re-election of President Musharraf from the present assemblies, she is said that it is a controversial matter and she would take recourse to the court if he tries to get re-elected from the present assemblies.
(The News)

I hope that Bhutto will eventually compromise. Perhaps something other than doffing the military duds will appease Bhutto.

Pakistan, next to Iraq and Iran, is the biggest concern when it comes to terrorist activity.

Musharraf says he'll keep the uniform, thanks

President and military dictator Pervez Musharraf gave his response to Benazir Bhutto, who affirmed that she would take part in the government if Musharraf would divest himself of his military duds.

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Ch. Pervaiz Elahi has said that President Musharraf will be re-elected with uniform and Peoples Party will be welcomed if they would support election of the president in uniform.

Talking to newsmen after laying foundation stone of a new block in Muslim League House, Pervaiz Elahi said it is the right of the voters to elect their leaders and whoever elected by them will be accepted.
(The News)

Evidently Musharraf did the calculations and figures that Bhutto overreached with her demand.

If she's interested in keeping Pakistan united against the radical factions she'll either give in to Musharraf or seek a compromise.

Bhutto's position is about as delicate as Musharraf's. Musharraf's dictatorial powers do enable him to dump Bhutto and her party once he has succeeded in putting down the rebellious faction(s). Bhutto's demand was probably her way of saying "How do I know that you'll live up to your word?"

Though I've expressed a certain degree of faith that Musharraf has Pakistan's best interests at heart, Bhutto's question is an excellent one from her point of view.

One of the best evidences she can get is the fact that Musharraf let stand a judicial decision that went flatly against his wishes last month. Did that decision potentially keep sentiment against him from rising? Sure it did. But you can always come up with a way to make actions seem selfishly motivated.

The second-best guarantee for Bhutto is the international community, which will no doubt lean on Musharraf if he waxes dictatorial without an exceptionally good justification.

A bad day for Islamist "miscreants"

MIRANSHAH: Pakistan troops backed by helicopter gunships killed at least 10 miscreants in a five-hour battle in North Waziristan on Tuesday.
(The News)

President Musharraf is keeping the heat on the Talibanesque rebels, but he has run into a complication regarding his attempt to enhance the unity of Pakistan's government.

Musharraf forged an alliance with Pakistan People's Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto in an attempt to solidify his government as it pursues, but Bhutto threw a spanner in the works when she insisted on an early show of good faith by Musharraf: She insisted that he divest himself of his military uniform as long as he acts as president.

Musharraf's position as the head of the military accounts for much of his job security.