Bhutto's 19-Year-Old Son Named Successor

AP:

Benazir Bhutto's 19-year-old son was chosen Sunday to succeed her as chairman of her opposition party, extending Pakistan's most famous political dynasty but leaving the real power to her husband, who will serve as co-chairman.

Both major opposition parties also decided to run in upcoming parliamentary elections, apparently ending the threat of a wholesale boycott as Pakistan struggles to move to full democracy after years of military rule.

Read the whole story: AP

Comments

[poopdeck]

This is called nepotism. Apparently his father is some sort of co-chairman.
By-the-way, if Hillary Clinton is elected our next president I will call her President Rodham. After all, male presidents did not have to change their names when they married. Calling her President Clinton would be sexism.

[jayind]

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (nee Bilawal Zardari) is a surrogate for the senior Mr Zardari. A fresh, frightened and innocent face can certainly white wash the blot of corruption that is inseparable from the Zardari name -- going by the comments quite a few Americans were already taken in. His dad did announce the "tender age"d one will return to studies and the son said the Dad will run "day-to-day affairs" of the party. Please read the news reports carefully. The PPP now also wants the elections to happen to capitalize on the "sympathy vote". This has happened in India, when Rajiv Gandhi -- though in his 30s at the time -- won by a landslide after Indira Gandhi, the incumbent PM, was killed by her Sikh bodyguards.

[ramal]

Nineteen and assuming the mantle? It doesn't bode well for him, his party or Pakistan. However he's got gorgeous eyes. If he doesn't become Prime Minister of Pakistan perhaps an international model? I'd take the latter and get the hell out of there if I were him.

[samuraijack]

This entire family is full of crap. This hegemonic, monarchical, hero worship, cult of personality bullshit. Handing the reins over to this wet behind the ears dumbass kid is proof this party is full of shit. Jack Out.

[leftLibertarian]

A luck sperm politician.

[wm1066]

'Demcracy is the best revenge'
Gotta love that line...and attitude!
Who will pick up that line and use it in thier campaign here?... but that said, Good Luck Mr. Bhutto.

[bradford]

A nation's form of government is dependent on a number of factors such as history, culture,
religion etc.Pakist­an is simply not the same as the U.S. their conception of self-government
will never be the same as ours.I agree Bilawal Bhutto looks like a frightened, grieving kid and should be allowed to simply go back to school but that is obviously not a point of view shared in Pakistan.A­mericans need to face the reality that the world is not going to look like us and our foreign policy should be based on our national interest and nothing more.As for those of you who are concerned about political dynasties I suggest you discuss your concerns with Ted Kennedy or George Bush or perhaps even Hillary Clinton.

[revoleurt]

We have these disasters overseas because of 20 years of Bush/Clinton rule.

Its time for a new beginning. A new direction. Someone with the right judgement to lead America again.

Obama 08!!

[ConcernAmerican]

I hope Bilawal will not have the same fate as his grandfather, Uncle and mother. Democracy indeed is the BEST revenge.

How democracy can be achieve in Pakistan is a big question that many people can't answer even the Pakistanis. Madrassahs are increasing in Pakistan, indocrination of young boys for JIHAD. Musharraf is not cracking them down.

[scottarino]

at 19 he's not qualified, but then again in Pakistan the only qualification one needs is to be able to stop a bullet.

[prscnt1]

Ms. Bhutto was sacrificed by the US in trying to displace Musaraf who was moving away from the West and was of no further use to the US. He struck back by taking out the most prized US asset, and that is all there is.

Now al-Qaeda is more useful to Musaraf then the US is, and the US is by the balls and will pay to Musaraf for a long time, like it paid to Saddam.

Ms. Bhutto’s Dad, who was hanged in revenge for the stuff he did when he was in power, established PPP in Pakistan, and it appears that the family thinks they own the so called PPP, as it is willed to the 19 years old! The wonderful democracy Ms. Bhutto was to establish!

Read the article at NYT. Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/weekinreview/30bumiller.html

[maxstar]

I am sure that Bilawal Bhutto learned a lot growing up with his mother. Obama is correct that his growing up in Jakarta is part of his foreign affairs experience. He must really understand murderous Muslim Military dictatorships. His stepdad rushed back to work for the military when the muslim military dictators started to kill 1/2 a million Liberals in Indonesia. I am sure that Obama learned a lot from his stepdad in the right wing Muslim Military dicatatorship. Bilawal Bhutto probably learned a lot from his mother and her friends and advisors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overthrow_of_Sukarno

[wildhorse]

Benazair Bhutto, married into a family with a bad reputation. Unfortunately Bhutto paid the price for her husband's corruption while she was PM. Sometimes powerful women have really crappy husbands. If the Pakistani people vote for Bhutto's son they will really be voting for Bhutto's husband, and he does not have a good track record when it comes to corruption. Unfortunately Musharraf is looking better everyday. That looks like the choice the Pakistani people are faced with. Bhutto's husband or Musharraf.

[Democratic]

The latest statement out of Pakistan from Sherry Rehman, a Benazir Bhutto confidante, is that Bhutto's son Bilawal is not willing to run and that he is "keen to complete his studies."

http://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=34781

[Bulbul]

Throwing the motherless child in front of the sharks !