Word: zardari
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...focus is turning toward Pakistan's delicately stitched-together coalition government, for which Musharraf has proved a source of common enmity and cohesion. The two parties led by Sharif and Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, could start wrangling over Musharraf's freshly evacuated seat. Zardari has deflected suggestions that he's interested, but suspicions linger that he may wish to become the next head of state - if only as a ceremonial figure. The coalition has vowed to claw back the wide-ranging powers with which Musharraf endowed the presidency...
Sharif and Zardari's breakthrough is likely to prove popular, and may even help offset their failures to arrest an overwhelming economic meltdown. It will, for now at least, strengthen their coalition, which constantly threatens to collapse. But they should be prepared for a fight. Musharraf has gambled away a lot to remain in office - he has given up his uniform, allowed his enemies to return from exile, and even overseen a free and fair election where he was dealt several blows. He is unlikely to give up what remains of his power easily. This is a man who said...
...impeachment process is likely to be long, painful and, depending on how Musharraf reacts, ugly. Zardari said that a "charge sheet" will be drawn up against the president. The charges to be advanced against him are likely to include "high treason" for mounting the 1999 coup and for the imposition of the state of emergency last November, when he suspended the constitution and sacked the judiciary...
...other important agreement among the coalition partners was the decision to reinstate the judges Musharraf sacked. According to Zardari and Sharif's joint statement, all the judges will return to their original positions after an "executive order" has been passed. Until now, the issue threatened to split the delicately stitched alliance. Sharif pulled his ministers from the cabinet after Zardari backtracked on an earlier agreement. The PPP has had deep reservations about Iftikhar Chaudhry, the chief justice who sparked Pakistan's political crisis last year when he refused to resign under pressure from Musharraf...
...equivocation lost the PPP considerable support as critics accused it of trying to preserve Musharraf in office. There were charges of vested interest: the Musharraf appointed-court had cleared Zardari of corruption charges against him through an amnesty issued by the president. Chaudhry, the deposed chief justice, has threatened to revoke that order. In the end, after a long night of negotiations, Zardari relented. The only injustice perhaps left is that Chaudhry will have no say in Musharraf's fate. He will not return to the bench until Musharraf is out of office...