Opposition Calls On Musharraf To Resign After Crushing Election Defeat

President Pervez Musharraf's leading opponents urged him to resign today as they jockeyed for position in a new coalition government after winning parliamentary elections that dramatically altered Pakistan's political landscape (write Jeremy Page in Lahore and Zahid Hussain in Islamabad).

But the former General, who seized power in a coup in 1999, refused to quit despite unofficial election results showing that the Pakistan Muslim League (Q), his political support base, had lost all but 38 of its 118 seats in parliament.

Although official results are not expected until this evening, unofficial figures showed last night that the two main opposition parties had won at least 154 of the 342 seats in the National Assembly, with neither commanding an outright majority.

Keep reading here.

Read about key figures in Pakistan's elections who could emerge as candidates for prime minister here.

Comments

[fact finder]

So he will just declare martial law and stay in power. Do not forget that he also is the commander of the army.

[kbartoy]

The real key is that Musharraf has not lost anything. He changed the constitution, got rid of the supreme court, and jailed his opponents during emergency rule. None of this has changed.

Now, the elections were a victory for the opposition, but only a partial victory. Even with a coalition, the PPP and PML-N will not have the two thirds majority to overturn all of the structural changes that Musharraf has illegally made in Pakistan.

He now has the cloak of democracy despite the fact that he is still a dictator.

I hate to self promote, but I wrote more about this here.

[kbartoy]

Here is the link for the above post:

http://bartoy.blogspot.com/2008/02/pervez-musharraf-legitimate-dictator.html

[springsm]

I think he resigned his position in the military.

[fact finder]

springsm.No he just said he would if he was elected president. That did not happen.

[HumeSkeptic]

He's no longer the Chief of Army. But, that might be of academic interest only.;-)

[clumberfeet]

A blue ribbon committee of Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris are reviewing the results.

[teacake]

Musharraf is the latest casualty of Bush's curses. Any one who is friend with, supported by, or associated with will find him- or herself soaked with humiliation and disgrace. This is a curse that has been cast upon the world's dumbest criminal: George W. Bush.


Bush is not only incompetent, he is a deadly terrorist whose existence is not welcomed by any one or any nation that value peace, freedom, and democracy.


Musharraf is finished as Bush has become so irrelevant in the US. If any presidential candidate even hints any association with or endorsement from Bush, he or she will might as well clean up the campaign and walk away like a disgraced loser. This is exactly what has happened to this piece of dog excrement named Pervez Musharraf!



Will John McCain be stupid enough to bring Bush onto his campaign? So far, McCain has proved to be very unwise. Only stupid idiots would vote for McCain or any Republican candidate. But then again, the Republican party has plenty of brain-washed stupid idiot shallow greedy hypocrites for members.


The next news I am waiting for is one about Musharraf gets convicted of murdering Bhutto. Justice must be served!

[teacake]

Musharraf is the latest casualty of Bush's curses. Any one who is friend with, supported by, or associated with will find him- or herself soaked with humiliation and disgrace. This is a curse that has been cast upon the world's dumbest criminal: George W. Bush.


Bush is not only incompetent, he is a deadly terrorist whose existence is not welcomed by any one or any nation that value peace, freedom, and democracy.


Musharraf is finished as Bush has become so irrelevant in the US. If any presidential candidate even hints any association with or endorsement from Bush, he or she will might as well clean up the campaign and walk away like a disgraced loser. This is exactly what has happened to this piece of dog excrement named Pervez Musharraf!



Will John McCain be stupid enough to bring Bush onto his campaign? So far, McCain has proved to be very unwise. Only stupid idiots would vote for McCain or any Republican candidate. But then again, the Republican party has plenty of brain-washed stupid idiot shallow greedy hypocrites for members.


The next news I am waiting for is one about Musharraf gets convicted of murdering Bhutto. Justice must be served!

[Mike169]

Bush, and his ilk, pretend to be small letter democrats but are extremely afraid of the concept which they fear is more akin to mob rule. In the three times he has pushed a "democratic" agenda, in Iraq, in Palestine, and in Pakistan, the democratic "solution" has backfired and left Bush looking like the asshole he is. Bush doesn't even want a democracy in this country muchless Pakistan, Iraq or Palestine. "Let the people rule" - it ain't in Bush's, or the Republicans, playbook.

[Mike169]

The irony of this is that Bush, and people around him, think that they are philosophically democrats which they've really never been. They are control freaks which are the antithesis of a democratic population. Bush thinks he can yell for democracy and have the people be at his beck and call as a like minded democrats. Bush was never for democracy he is an aristocrat looking for like minded aristocrats who will help him rule the world. Democracy still stands as the best political solution to problems. If only our government was more interested in the reality of democracy instead of the lip service they pay it the world would be better off and rulers like Bush wouldn't look like fools every time they cry for democracy when they really mean rule by an aristocracy.

[Wiredwilly]

Another petty dictator soon to be forgotten by History.
List # 1 : Napoleon, Castro, Hitler, Bush, Mao, Huessin, Musharraf, Bin Laden, Stalin. List # 2 : Beethoven, VanGogh, Jesus, Thomas Edison, William Blake, Marie Curie, Mark Twain, Buddha, Carl Jung, Bob Dylan. Now, which list, # 1 or # 2 has brought more benefit to humanity ?

[HouseOfRoberts]

Ruh roh! Democracy bites Bush in the ass again! Everywhere there are free and fair elections, the Bush promoted candidates get slammed. Mushraff will have to continue to go Cheney on them to hold onto power.

[bigdaddyvike]

Maybe he'll write an executive order that will keep him in power forever. Chimpy's little useless terror puppet will never go down without a fight. Wonder what he's got up his sleeve...there's no way the military will back him enough in this one. Now who has the keys to the missles?

[Camarosc35]

If anyone believes that Musharraf will relinquish power they have little understanding of his history. This will put the US administration in a very awkward position of choosing sides between Musharraf, an ally against its "War on Terror" and his parliamentary opposition which will well within its legal rights to demand Musharraf's looming impeachment.

[OlongapoEd]

If (and it is probably a big "if") the Army tells Musharraf to resign or else, I doubt that even Musharraf would try to hold on.

[Colmore]

He probably will take the MILLIONS of our tax dollars that Georgie donated, and live in luxury in Switzerland, Paraguay or somewhere like that. There should be more oversight on the aid given to these countries. The people who need it do not seem to benefit. One fast way to end the Israel/Palestine problem is to cut off the aid. If they want to fight, use their own tax dollars. We need that money for our own problems in this country.

[Mike169]

That's what he gets for listening to a moron llike George W. Bush.

[Ides]

I guess Musharraf didn't look that far ahead.