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Musharraf Should Convince US in Development of Democracy: The Financial Times Observer

Politics Materials 9 November 2007 16:01 (UTC +04:00)
Musharraf Should Convince US in Development of Democracy: The Financial Times Observer

UK, London / corr Trend G.Ahmadova / To hold the state power Pakistani President Perviz Musharraf should make 'the most important' through establishing relations with courts and assures the United States that Pakistan is on the path of democracy, Gideon Rachman, an observer of the British daily The Financial Times, told Trend.

"I think America's first choice would be more Mushararraf [rather Benezzer Bhutto], but aMusharraf, who could plausibly be argued to be on the path to democracy. If that is not possible I dont know what America will do  - and I dont think they know either. They are watching closely for signs that the Pakistani army has turned on Musharraf, Rachman said in an interview. He needs to lift the state of emergency, restore freedoms to the media and make peace with the courts.The latter in particular will be very difficult," he said.

Rachman did not propose a receipt for establishment of relations with courts, only saying that the President needs to do more than that to restore the idea that he is ruling constitutionally. the real threat was the Supreme Court, not Benazir. He was being encouraged by the US to come to anagreement with Benazir - and they were quite close to that. But Benazir cannot go along with the state of emergency.

Musharraf imposed emergency rule on 3 November and suspended the constitution, triggering widespread protests in his own country, and setting off a flurry of diplomatic efforts in Washington to get him to restore democratic rule

The independent media has been ceased in the country and forces were placed in big cities. On Friday, Pakistani police detained opposition leader Benazir Bhutto at her Islamabad home and reportedly rounded up 5,000 of her supporters to block a mass protest against emergency rule, Associated Press reports.

On Wednesday US President George W. Bush bluntly told Musharraf to stick by election plans and give up his army uniform, after the Pakistani military ruler imposed emergency rule on Saturday.

Musharraf announced yesterday that Pakistan will hold elections by February 15, aiming to stem outrage at earlier hints that the parliamentary vote originally due in January could be suspended for a year.

The date of cancellation of emergency rule in the country is still unknown. Mohhammad Kayyum, the Prosecutor General of Pakistan, said that the emergency rule for one or two months.

Presidential elections, which ended by Musharraf's victory, were held in Pakistan on 6 October 2007. The Supreme Court passed upon confirming the legitimacy of his election and considered the lawsuits filed by Misharraf's' opponents, who considered his victory illegal ground on his taking two positions simultaneously - the President and the Commander-in-Chief.

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