The recent Pakistani presidential elections have been an interesting frenzy of events for the country’s politicians, population and even residents abroad.
Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who has been in power since 1999 because of a military coup, won the re-election for a third presidency term Saturday. The issue of his re-election has of course been a major concern for the countrymen and women, but also for people in the United States, for Musharraf is deemed a critical ally of the Bush administration in the war against terrorism.
Musharraf won almost 98 percent of the votes: 671 of the 685 votes actually cast. Don’t let that be a judgment of his popularity. His victory has nothing to do with his fame in the country or his methodology of running the government. For example, in the case of the chief justice, rising against the president and government, Musharraf decided to politically maneuver him out of power before the elections. It is because of these actions that the president has suffered severe blows to his popularity.
The president’s triumph in the elections has to do with the simple fact that the countrymen and women eligible to vote in the assemblies boycotted him as a candidate, just simply refusing to vote. This is completely absurd, because each vote is power – power that could change the future, but has been left unattended. This is a serious problem in Pakistan; the leaders of the parties and legislatures walk out each time they cannot agree on an issue, and so the vital issues are never solved. Their boycotting has yet to prove a solution.
Before the elections, the majority of Pakistanis were against the general running for a third term. The people are enraged with Musharraf for a number of reasons: the fact that he has never "played by the rules," that he holds the military status of chief general of the army while also occupying the presidential seat, which is outlawed in the Pakistani constitution.
Interestingly, Musharraf recently stated that, if elected, he would let go of his army uniform, which also identifies with the fact that he would give up his military status and govern the country like a non-army backed individual.
Musharraf has molded a profession of getting himself and the country out of sticky situations and away from dead ends. That makes him a necessary candidate for the continuing term. The country right now requires more than just a strong leader. Currently, Pakistan is in serious need of economic growth and development as a Third World country.
Pakistan needs a president who can handle the international pressures of the war on terrorism, and the internal religious stress as well.
The president can further improve the functioning by making it clockwork, and to do so he would need the support of the opposition leaders. If he had the collaboration of the opposition (which is getting stronger by the day in Pakistan) and the back-up of the judiciary system, the country would operate like a well-oiled engine.
His comeback could be positive for the country because of the stability of a one-man regime which knows how to handle the political climate of today’s world. He is an individual who has the determination and solid attitude to bring about change when needed. This is a commendable quality. Musharraf’s policies have been working for over seven years now, why not a few more?
But right now, even though the general has won the re-election, he cannot be declared president because the supreme court has submitted petitions against his eligibility as a candidate.
We are not sure if Musharraf will be claimed president, if he does quit his military status and rule as an individual, or if the opposition leaders will back his victory. But considering how large and vocal the opposition is, Musharraf’s position will most likely continue to remain under pressure.
Too many questions, very few answers and so little time.
Nagra, a psychology senior, can be reached via [email protected]
