Pakistan's Election Turmoil
Political Wrangling Intensifies after Benazir Bhutto’s Assassination
The murder of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has opened Pandora's Box for political opposition forces vying for power within Pakistan.
Events show that support for the timing of the Pakistani election is as changing as a Shiraz wind flowing off the mountains of Pakistan's troubling neighbors - Afghanistan and Iran. The recent assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has shifted alliances and desires throughout the political spectrum within Pakistan, creating 180 degree policy shifts.
Political Parties
- Pakistan Muslim League, Quaid-e-Azam The PML-Q Party of Pervez Musharraf has, until recently, demanded quick elections. Following the death of Mrs. Bhutto the Washington brokered power sharing agreement between Bhutto and Musharraf seemed all but dead. The PML-Q, fearing a sympathy vote, now wants to delay the elections. Peter Buxbaum said today in Spero News “The Bush administration’s effort in Pakistan - and their ultimate failure - illustrates the problems associated with a policy based on personality rather than process.”
- Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz -The PML-N Party of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was an ardent opponent to the January elections. People’s Daily stated on December 28th that “opposition leader Nawaz Sharif announced here Thursday that his party will boycott the scheduled Jan. 8 parliamentary elections….” However a reversal took place when Sharif was quoted in BBC News on January 1st as saying his party would not accept the expected postponement - we will “agitate" against a delay.
- Pakistan Peoples Party – PPP appears to have had the Washington brokered power sharing deal firmly in hand at the time of Mrs. Bhutto's death. However, Husain Haqqani announced Tuesday on CNN “…the Bhutto family's role in Pakistani politics is far from over….The Pakistan People's Party led in opinion polls…even before Bhutto's assassination. Now the PPP is likely to benefit from a strong sympathy vote.”
Election Switch
- The PML-Q wanted early elections but now has demanded the elections be postponed. BBC announced: “The ruling PML-Q party has said the 8 January vote should be delayed for several weeks, on the grounds that the vote would "lose credibility" if held under current conditions.”
- The PML-N wanted elections delayed but now demanded early, scheduled elections. BBC further stated; “A spokesman for former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also condemned the postponement but confirmed his party would take part in the election.”
- The PPP, Bhutto’s party initially wavered on the timing of the elections but ultimately agreed to January 8th as part of the Washington agreement. After her death the party saw the strength of keeping it in January. "There are no grounds whatsoever for delaying the elections," said Raza Rabbani, deputy secretary general of Ms Bhutto's party to the BBC. Yet on January 2nd the Press Trust of India reported in Larkana that the PPP “…condemned the postponement of the general election…but it will take part in the February 18 polls.
While attitudes shift for political gain and accusations intensify, Pakistan’s democracy is at stake. Venkat Raman, said in the National Business Review today: “The assassination of Ms Bhutto will continue to haunt Pakistan for some time to come but it remains to be seen if the country, which has had a disturbed relationship with democracy, will pull itself together or hand over its reins of administration to yet another military ruler.”
