Word: coups
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...necessary? For starters, because of Gaddafi's central role in Sarkozy's most dramatic diplomatic coup in his six-month presidency: the success last July in winning the release of six Bulgarian medics held on trumped-up murder charges by Tripoli. All that left even some Sarkozy allies inclined to interpret Gaddafi's visit at least in part as a quid pro quo. "The Bulgarian medics were certainly worth a visit," argued former conservative French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin...
...Paris visit marks the first time a Western head of state has hosted Gaddafi as an honored guest of his nation - a particularly big p.r. coup for the Libyan, given Sarkozy's repeated vows to make human rights central in defining French foreign policy. Opposition politicians and human rights groups like Amnesty International want to hold Sarkozy to that promise by insisting Gaddafi's better diplomatic behavior be accompanied by improved treatment of his own people before he's shown such deferential treatment. Critics also contend Gaddafi isn't the only suspect foreign leader Sarkozy has offered such friendly approbation...
That may be the case for the opposition as a whole. But it is also true for the part of the oppostion he leads. Sharif, who has been disqualified from running himself due to criminal charges related to Musharraf's 1999 coup, risked the defection of key members of his party if he did not allow it to join the elections. "The [party] had a lot of heavyweights that stood a good chance of winning key seats if they contested," says Ayesha Tammy Haq, a prominent political talk show host. "If Sharif called for a boycott, they would have defected...
...legitimized by nearly full party participation (several smaller parties, including that of Imran Khan, another politician with premier ambitions, have not yet decided if they will contest). But now Musharraf's smaller party, which split off from the Muslim League when Musharraf overthrew Sharif in 1999's bloodless coup, faces serious competition from both the Bhutto's People's Party of Pakistan and Sharif's party, which have wide national support...
...independent judiciary transcends party lines, and if Sharif can tap the Chief Justice's movement, his party stands a better chance at the polls - even if the electoral commission has ruled him ineligible to become Prime Minister because of a conviction for hijacking related to events during the coup that brought Musharraf to power...