PPP wins in Pakistan

[K. A. Pital]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7251990.stm

Musharraf foes triumph at polls
The main party backing President Pervez Musharraf has admitted defeat in Pakistan's elections.

The two main opposition parties, the PPP of late PM Benazir Bhutto and the PML-N, led by another former PM, Nawaz Sharif, already have a clear majority.

If they form a coalition with a two-thirds majority in parliament they could impeach Mr Musharraf.

The BBC's Chris Morris in Islamabad says Mr Musharraf has never looked weaker than he does today.

The full scale of the defeat inflicted on the pro-Musharraf PML-Q will become clearer during Tuesday as more results come in.

Whether the PPP and the PML-N decide to work together in a coalition remains to be seen. Our correspondent says there is a great deal of political bargaining to come

President Musharraf has been a major US ally in the "war on terror" but his popularity has waned at home amid accusations of authoritarianism and incompetence.

His forces have been trying to contain a Taleban-influenced Islamist insurgency along the country's rugged frontier with Afghanistan.

The election has been preceded by months of violence, including the suicide attack that killed PPP leader, Ms Bhutto, in December.

Whosoever wins we should accept it - that includes myself
President Musharraf

The poll was initially scheduled for early January but was delayed after her assassination.

Mr Musharraf had said he would accept the result, regardless of who won.

Though he did not stand in the parliamentary election himself, correspondents say the clear defeat of his supporters has made his position more precarious.

Democratic mandate

Supporters of the PPP and PML-N were celebrating in the streets on Tuesday.

Leaders of both opposition parties had earlier warned the polls would be rigged in favour of the government.


NATIONAL RESULTS SO FAR
PPP (Bhutto's party) : 85
PML-N (Nawaz Sharif): 64
PML-Q: (pro-Musharraf) 36
MQM (Sindh-based): 19
ANP (Secular Pashtuns): 10
Others: 29
Source: Geo TV

The next government will have to decide how it chooses to work with a president who has never had much time for politicians with broad popular support, our correspondent says.

Unofficial and provisional results showed big gains for Mr Sharif and Ms Bhutto's parties.

Both parties so far appear to have won 139 seats, securing more than half of the 272-seat parliament.

The pro-Musharraf PML-Q was a distant third, with 33 seats.

Several notable ministers in the government had lost their seats, while dramatic gains were made by some smaller parties.

Most results were due in by Tuesday morning

In the North West Frontier Province, the Awami National Party - a Pashtun party allied to the PPP - appeared to have defeated the Islamist incumbents.

The chairman of the pro-Musharraf PML-Q party, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, told Associated Press Television News his party accepted the results "with an open heart" and was prepared to "sit on opposition benches".

Most official counts will not be declared until later on Tuesday.

Pakistani newspapers spoke of a "rout" of Mr Musharraf's allies, with The News proclaiming: "Democracy takes revenge."

"The result will be the voice of the nation and whosoever wins we should accept it - that includes myself," said Mr Musharraf.

PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif is staunchly opposed to the president, and if the two opposition parties jointly gain two-thirds of the seats, they may try to impeach Mr Musharraf, correspondents say.

Mr Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999.

International pressure forced him to step down as army chief last year and the parliamentary election has been viewed as a key milestone along Pakistan's path from military to civilian rule.

Fear of violence

Celebrations broke out on the streets of cities including Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi as news of the results trickled out.

HAVE YOUR SAY I hope that this current election is a positive step towards democracy, peace and economical growth Atif Majid, Kuwait

At least 20 people are reported to have died in election-day violence, with the PPP reporting 15 of its members killed.

There were also reports of missing ballot boxes.

But there was also widespread relief that there were none of the major bomb attacks which had marred the run-up to the election.

Fears of violence had dissuaded many of the country's 80 million eligible voters from leaving their homes, and voter turnout was estimated to be less than 40%.

Close to half a million security personnel, including about 80,000 soldiers, had been deployed to quell any outbreak of violence.

So, what next? What are the PPP really? What kind of political force?

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

I think more likely they will go into a turf fight shortly after Musharraf is driven out of office. Then the endless cycle of coup, democracy, coup, continues., unless Pakistan turns into a theocracy suddenly.