Power-sharing in Pakistan

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will indeed resign his military commission by the end of the year, said Pakistan's minister of information, Syed Anwar Mahmood, in an interview this week: "President Musharraf will be quitting as the army's chief of staff at the end of the year. He has said so himself."

How Gen. Musharraf intended to deal with the issue of holding his dual offices, which Pakistan's constitution bars him from doing, was one major question mark in Pakistan's upcoming elections. The issue won't be settled, of course, until Gen. Musharraf actually completes the transition to civilian life. (After the 2002 election, Gen. Musharraf granted himself an exemption.) It's important, though, that Gen. Musharraf not only made the promise but has a senior member of his government in Washington reiterating it unequivocally.

Gen. Musharraf's pledge should also help facilitate a promising power-sharing agreement with exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Said Mrs. Bhutto on Tuesday in an interview on PBS: "...the fact that General Musharraf wears a uniform blurs the distinction between civilian and democratic rule... We want him to take the uniform off."

Gen. Musharraf's promise to resign his army position by the end of the year may not fully satisfy Mrs. Bhutto. "There are going to be two presidential elections," she also said during her interview on PBS. Gen. Musharraf will seek re-election from an electoral college drawn from the current parliament sometime between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15, while still in his role as army chief, but then will face another election after a new parliament is elected. "If the elections are fair," said Mrs. Bhutto, "and we have a level playing field, and [Gen. Musharraf] seeks re-election from the next assembly, then certainly the parliament can consider that, if the uniform is not there and the elections have been fair."

Pakistan's Supreme Court yesterday gave Nawaz Sharif, another exiled former prime minister, permission to return, eight years after he was deposed by Gen. Musharraf. Mr. Sharif plans to do so soon in order to participate in the upcoming election, although he may still face criminal charges. His return adds another layer of pressure to Gen. Musharraf, perhaps encouraging him to secure a deal with Mrs. Bhutto.

The prospect of a power-sharing agreement between the former prime minister and the general has piqued the interest of many in the West, and for good reason. Such a deal would not guarantee a stable Pakistan — the two leaders differ on several issues and share a mutual antipathy — but it is the most promising option to strengthen the non-Islamist, non-extremist faction. To hold on to power, Gen. Musharraf will have to choose between an alliance with a moderate like Mrs. Bhutto or with extremist factions. For the United States, the preference couldn't be any clearer.