Word: musharraf
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...PILDAT's Mehboob disagrees. He reckons that of all Pakistan's imperfect leaders, Musharraf is the best of the lot. "Nobody can fix all the problems in this country. But Musharraf promised Pakistan when he took power that he would fix democracy. And now he has that opportunity. It may not be in the way he wanted, but by stepping down now he can do more for democracy in this country than any other leader." That's a legacy worth leaving...
Like a Shakespearean tragedy, the final chapter of General Pervez Musharraf's reign began with an echo of the original sin of its first pages: the October 1999 coup by which he overthrew Nawaz Sharif, the democratically elected Prime Minister. Sharif's highly publicized return from exile on Sept. 10 lasted just four hours; Musharraf had him deported again. But if the general's first expulsion of Sharif--then an unloved head of an inept and corrupt government--brought Musharraf to power amid widespread acclaim, the second may well hasten the President's downfall...
...Musharraf's early departure is not guaranteed. He could drag things out by declaring martial law, but that would be highly unpopular, even within the military, which doesn't want a confrontation with an angry populace. Sharif's party faithful, undaunted by their leader's absence and the arrest of many of his aides, are planning mass protests. They are likely to be joined by a wide swath of Pakistani society, from Islamist parties to liberal lawyers and professors. Al-Qaeda and other extremist militants in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, meanwhile, are capitalizing on popular discontent to reinvigorate their...
...most immediate threat to Musharraf comes from the Supreme Court, which can block his bid to remain in power by enforcing a constitutional ban on elected officials holding military rank. Musharraf previously got around that by obtaining an exemption from tame judges. That exemption expires on Nov. 15, and Supreme Court justices, who resent the general for trying to sack an independent-minded top judge earlier this year, are unlikely to give him another. If Musharraf sheds his uniform, they can block him with another constitutional provision: retired soldiers must wait two years before standing for office...
This is all alarming news for the Bush Administration, which regards Musharraf as a key ally in a highly unstable part of the world. The Administration is backing a power-sharing deal with another exiled former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, as the best way for the general to regain popularity. But Bhutto's own standing has plummeted since she started dealing with the dictator. Now negotiations are stalled over her demands that he resign as head of the military, drop corruption charges against her and give up the power to dissolve parliament. U.S. officials predict Bhutto's popularity will spike...