Uncertainty on new Pak govt continues

I do not not see Musharraf's rule lasting very long: Zardari.

Uncertainty continued over government formation in Pakistan as the two main opposition leaders "" Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif ""meet here tomorrow, while the single-largest party, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), today decided that Zardari would not not be the prime minister.

Amid reports that Washington would prefer a government that would work with Musharraf, who rejected demands for his resignation, Zardari met US Ambassador in Pakistan Anne Patterson.

He is believed to have discussed with the American envoy the situation arising out of a hung verdict in which neither the PPP of late prime minister Benazir Bhutto with 87 seats or the Pakistan Muslim League headed by Nawaz Sharif (PML-N) with 67 seats is in position to form the government on its own. Elections were held for 269 seats.

But in significant remarks that could give an indication of the possible new alliance, Zardari has asked the international community, especially the US, to "support us" in building a new era of peace "instead of continuing with the erroneous belief that alliance with a strongman is its best bet to bring stability to Pakistan".

"The task ahead will not not be easy, but the PPP is prepared to work in good faith with our fellow democratic parties to restore the constitution to its original state, without the distortions introduced by a dictator's diktat," he said in a commentary in Chicago Tribune.

There was no no word from either of the two opposition groups whose leaders are meeting here tomorrow for possibly cobbling a coalition that would check Musharraf's grip on power.

Zardari said it is the intent of the PPP to form a democratic liberal government "" an umbrella of reconciliation and consensus. The central executive of the PPP met today to consider various options regarding government formation and adopted a resolution that Zardari, widower of Bhutto, will not not be its prime ministerial candidate.

On the issue of impeachment of Musharraf, strongly being pursued by Sharif, a two-time former prime minister, he said he was looking to make Parliament strong. "It is an opportunity in the history of democracy in Pakistan. Why waste it on individual positions," he added.

"I do not not see Musharraf's rule lasting very long," he said. Asked in the context of reports that Musharraf's aides had met him, Zardari said, "why would I need to do that. I need a lifeline for the Parliament. I don't need any lifeline for an individual."

On the question of reinstatement of judges, another demand of Sharif, Zardari favoured a parliamentary committee looking into it. "It's a question of 60 judges. The parliamentary committee should define how to reinstate and whom to reinstate. I am not far apart from Sharif," he said.

Meanwhile, Musharraf has rejected demands for his resignation in the wake of the electoral drubbing of his allies. He said in an interview to Wall Street Journal that he was neither contemplating retirement nor resigning.

"No, not yet. We have to move forward in a way that we bring about a stable democratic government to Pakistan," he said.

The President said he was even prepared to work with Sharif, who has demanded his resignation, and offered to "facilitate in a positive way" the formation of a new government". He hoped to avoid any "clashes" between him and the new Prime Minister in running the affairs of the country.

Meanwhile, the PPP has reached out to other parties to form a government amidst indications that sections of its leadership favoured Makhdoom Amin Fahim as the prime ministerial candidate.

Official sources said President Pervez Musharraf's aides, including National Security Council Secretary Tariq Aziz, met PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari yesterday and urged him not to join hands with former premier Nawaz Sharif, whose PML-N party is the second largest group with 65 seats.

Though PPP Spokesman Farhatullah Babar denied there was such a meeting, the official sources insisted that the aides had met Zardari.

PPP leaders who spoke on condition of anonymity admitted there were differences with the Nawaz's party on the key issue of reinstating the judges who were sacked by Musharraf during last year's emergency rule.

They also said a sizeable section of the party favoured PPP Vice-Chairman Fahim as the prime ministerial candidate. "In my personal opinion, Fahim deserves to be the prime minister," a member of the PPP's central executive committee, who did not want to be named, told PTI.

Zardari has also spoken with Pashtun leader Asfandyar Wali Khan, whose Awami National Party bagged 10 National Assembly seats and emerged a key player in the North West Frontier Province.

The PPP Co-Chairman has also established contact with leaders of the All Parties Democratic Movement, including Mehmood Khan Achakzai and former cricketer Imran Khan, to bring them on board in the efforts aimed at government formation even though they had boycotted the polls.

Safdar Abbasi, a member of Pakistan's Senate and part of the PPP's central executive committee, said: "The problems before the country are too large to be tackled by any one party. The vote was against the establishment and Musharraf, and the PPP believes all the democratic forces should come together to form a stable government.

"The PPP, PML-N and ANP are the democratic forces and we hope we can come together," he said. Abbasi noted that after the reserved seats for women and minorities are allocated on the basis of votes polled by parties, the PPP would have 113 seats, the PML-N 84 and the ANP 13, thereby allowing them to form a government.

"We need a large national consensus as a consensual approach is needed to rebuild the country's institutions," he said. "It will be difficult to do things without national consensus. We need stable governments at the centre and in the provinces."

Abbasi also sought to brush aside the differences between the PPP and the PML-N on the reinstatement of the deposed judges. "All parties have different stands on various issues and we are trying to bridge these differences. We are confident we can do that," he said.

Sharif has stressed that the PML-N is committed to reinstating the deposed judges but Zardari has said this matter should be decided by the new parliament.

Referring to the PPP's stand, PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said:"We want the judiciary to be strong and independent. That is not just our cause, it is the cause of the whole nation and we hope the PPP will show some flexibility on this issue."

The PPP is set to form government in the southern Sindh province and has also initiated efforts to form the government in the NWFP with the ANP. "In Sindh, we can form the government on our own but we may choose to work with other democratic forces," Abbasi said.

POSSIBLE SCENARIOS

Scenario One: A grand coalition. As the largest party, the PPP gets the prime minister's slot. The PML-N gets the two-thirds majority it wants to impeach Musharraf, provided it can convince the PPP to go along with impeachment. The PML-Q saves itself from complete extinction.

But is impeachment enough reason for the existence of a coalition that is fundamentally at odds on everything else?

On economic policy, for instance, the PML-N favours laissez faire while the PPP is for nationalisation, privatisation and strengthening of the state structure. There is no common ground on governance approaches.

Scenario Two: Nawaz Sharif has already indicated that he is receptive to PML-Q candidates who want to return to the "mother party" and despite everything that has happened over the past six years, Shahbaz Sharif (Nawaz Sharif's brother and leader of the PML-N) and Pervez Elahi (the most important PML-Q leader in Punjab) don't hate each other. The PML-Q ceases to exist and the PML-N forms a coalition government with the MMA, MQM and assorted independents. The PPP is left out in the cold.

Scenario Three: None of the parties can come to an agreement. No government is formed and the country has another round of elections, this time with even lower turnouts. Musharraf has the last laugh.

Scenario Four: The PPP and PML-Q form a coalition government. Obviously this will be in Musharraf's interest, though it will certainly lower the credibility of the PPP, which has all along blamed Musharraf for its leader Benazir Bhutto's assassination.

India welcomes Pakistan polls

India on Wednesday welcomed the conduct of elections in Pakistan and said it would resume the composite dialogue as soon as a "duly-constituted" government is in place in that country. New Delhi hoped that the two countries would be able to resolve outstanding issues and build "a mutually-beneficial relationship in an atmosphere free of violence and terrorism".

The Indian government "welcomes the fact that the people of Pakistan have been able to express themselves clearly in a democratic manner for their own future," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said.

Bush expects Pak help on fighting terror to continue

US President George W Bush on Wednesday said that he hoped the sweeping defeat of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's party in parliamentary elections won't end the Islamic nation's cooperation in fighting radical extremists.

Musharraf was not on the ballot, but the election was widely seen as a referendum on his eight-year rule, including his alliance with the US in the war against terrorist groups that many Pakistanis oppose.

The pro-Musharraf party lost badly, and conceded defeat before the final tally. "It's now time for the newly elected folks to show up and form their government," Bush said.