ISLAMABAD,
May 18, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The announcement that Pakistani
President Pervez Musharraf is seeking a second term in office has
stirred a debate Wednesday, May 18, likely to intensify in a country
that is still struggling to cope with the idea of a democracy run by a
military president, who came to power through a bloodless coup.
Pakistani
government spokesman and Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed
said Tuesday that Musharraf “would remain President beyond 2007”,
meaning a second term. But Ahmed offered no answer to the question
whether Musharraf would retain his uniform after the completion of his
first Presidential tenure.
The
announcement drew a flurry of stern reactions from opposition groups,
which already question the constitutional validity of Mushharraf’s
elections and his holding of dual office as President and as Chief of
the Army Staff (COAS).
Musharraf,
however, enjoys support among educated classes and intelligentsia of
Pakistani society, and it is there that the announcement has been most
welcomed, according to IOL correspondent.
“I
think stability is more important for Pakistan, so there is no harm in
Musharraf continuing for the second term if it ensures stability and
given the regional and international situation it become all the more
important” Ishtiaq Ahmed, Associate Professor of political science
at Quaid-e-Azam University, told IOL.
Early
Negotiations
The
announcement coincided with reports about government negotiations
behind the scenes with opposition groups, especially the party of
exiled leader Benazir Bhutto.
Along
with his announcement on Musharraf’s intention to seek a second term
in office, the information minister said that the government is in
contact with all the opposition groups and exiled political leaders
including former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif.
Hitting
back, leader of the coalition of six religious parties, Mutihada
Majalisa Amal (MMA), Hussein Ahmed told reporters that Musharraf was
“an unconstitutional President and future polity of the country must
be governed according to the 1947 constitution”.
Two
years back the same coalition of religious groups endorsed the
constitutional amendments, which consolidated Musharraf’s position
as President.
Politically
charged sections of the Pakistani society view Musharraf’s second
tenure as harmful for the restoration of “full democracy” in the
country.
“How
can you claim to be a democracy if your President is wearing uniform
and if there are arbitrary amendments in your Constitution? The most
important question is what procedure will be adopted for the elections
of President after 2007, will there be another referendum?” Riaz
Muhammad Khan, a senior High Court lawyer, told IOL.
In
2004, the parliament endorsed Musharraf’s decision to hold dual
office of President and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS). However, the
validity of the dual office act will expire in 2007.
Confusion
 |
|
Rashid
Ahmed made the announcement.
|
Opposition
leaders believe the announcement and government admission that it is
negotiating with the opposition groups is aimed at creating confusion.
“The
government is trying to create confusion but we are very clear that
the constitution must be restored in its original form,” said Raja
Zafar-ul-Haq, Chairman of the Nawaz Sharif group of Muslim League.
But
analysts believe that the government negotiations with the opposition
groups especially Pakistan People Party (PPP) is at an advanced stage.
“There
is a real possibility of deal between Musharraf and PPP, its quite
open now and now that Musharraf himself has admitted this, we can say
that such an understanding could lead to reshaping the ruling
coalition and it would provide an option for the second term,”
Farhan Bokhari, analyst and a senior journalist, told IOL.
The
present ruling coalition in Pakistan comprises PML (Q) and break away
factions of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Bokhari
added that the other possibility is that the announcement about
Muharraf’s second term would unite the opposition groups, which are
already in an aggressive mood.
Following
contacts between government and PPP, other political groups have
started distancing themselves from People’s Party.
Food
First
The
general public in Pakistan remains indifferent to political wrangling
in Islamabad primarily because of burden of price hike and inflation,
the announcement, however, drew the attention of the public and caused
shockwaves in the political circles.
“The
issue of President retaining two offices and continuing beyond 2007
has generated considerable interest among the public and it has become
an issue of street talks” Azeem Khalid, a senior analyst working
with a daily Urdu newspaper, told IOL Wednesday, May 18.
“For
us, it is more important that the prices of essential commodities come
down. I will vote for Musharraf in his second tenure only if his
government can ensure that essential commodities are available in the
market at cheap prices” Muhammad Arif, a clerk with a private firm
in Islamabad, told IOL Wednesday.
A
house wife expressed similar views on this announcement of great
political significance.
“I
don’t care who will be the president after 2007, for us it is more
important what relief the government will give to the common man in
the upcoming budget” said Amber Majeed, a housewife.
Some
political analysts went even further by casting doubts on the very
authority of the government spokesman to make announcements on such a
significant political issue.
“It
was widely expected that Musharraf would continue as President after
completion of his tenure for the second term, however I really doubt
whether Minister of information have been authorized to make such an
announcement, because it would generate considerable controversy
pre-maturely,” said Farhan Bokhari, who is working as a Islamabad
correspondent of London-based Financial Times.
It
is expected that this announcement would remain a issue of debate in
the political and constitutional circles of the country in the days to
come.
The
announcement about Musharraf’s tenure came at a time when the
country is bracing for annual budget and the ruling coalition is
coming under increasing strain primarily because of political pressure
from the opposition and the Musharraf’s hobnobbing with opposition
groups.
Two
days earlier, Musharraf presided over a meeting of ruling party,
Muslim League, to resolve internal differences among the party’s top
leaders.
In
his first tenure Musharraf was elected through a referendum the
results of which were later endorsed by the Pakistani parliament.
However,
the constitution of Pakistan lays down a separate procedure for the
election of the president through parliament and four provincial
assemblies.
