Islamabad, Pakistan: October 7, 2007 - The Opposition political parties of Pakistan believe that Gen. Pervez Musharraf has manipulated the Presidential election and got the sweeping victory while his opposite candidate just got 2 votes. 

However, the declaration of his victory has been fogged up by the ruling of the Supreme Court for the time bing, which shall take its decision on October 17, 2007 whether he should be declared legally elected President or not.

There is an all round anger among the opponents of Musharraf for his under hand politics of one-man race. In fact, the opposition fell in their own trap, they refused to take part, and only legislators from the ruling coalition, plus a few independents, voted and that helped Musharraf to sweep a thumping victory.

General Musharraf won 98 percent of votes — 671 of the total of 685 ballots cast in the national and provincial assemblies were for him, and 8 were for one of his opponents, Wajihuddin Ahmed, a former Supreme Court judge. Under the Electoral College system, General Musharraf got 384 votes of 702, more than 50 percent of the Electoral College, according to an unofficial calculation.

The above results show that Musharraf’s high planning and opposition’s suicidal policy of not taking part in the election gave Prevez a thrashing win to which Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz termed it as a welcome result. To oppose Musharraf now by any political party is of no use, time has gone, and Musharraf is the President of Pakistan. (IR Summary).

 News:

General Musharraf had been widely expected to be re-elected as the government coalition holds a majority in all but one provincial assembly. But the election will be recognized only if the Supreme Court, which is hearing challenges later this month to General Musharraf’s participation in the election, rules in his favor.

Two of his opponents have raised constitutional objections to his being elected by the outgoing assemblies, seeking what is in effect a third term as president and running for elected office while still holding the position of chief of army staff. Opposition lawyers, who have opposed General Musharraf’s eight years of military rule on constitutional grounds, and all the main opposition parties are supporting the legal challenges.

General Musharraf, who seized power in a military coup in October 1999, has always struggled against accusations that his leadership is illegitimate. He first led the country as chief executive. Then in 2002 he sought an election by referendum, which was widely criticized for being rigged. He won a vote of confidence by the electoral college in January 2004; that allowed him to continue as president through a term that expires next month.

Yet he clearly still commands a majority in the elected assemblies, and disquiet among members of the ruling party melted away on election day.

The former minister of tourism, Nilofer Bakhtiar, who had said she would not vote for General Musharraf if he remained in uniform, said his recent promise to the Supreme Court that he would resign his military post after the election had satisfied her. “I am here only because he said he would take off his uniform,” she said Saturday. “He will take the oath in a suit.”

She said she believed that the general would also respect the Supreme Court if it ruled against him. “If the court goes against him, he will quietly quit,” she said. “He has the courage to do that.”

She and other members of Parliament who are women said they supported General Musharraf for his promotion of women. “He has the qualities to make changes in our society,” she said.
 
Full Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/world/asia/07pakistan.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin